Oscar Peterson, Internationally renowned Canadian jazz pianist and trumpet player died at age 82, Hazel McCallion, mayor of Mississauga, Ontario, the Toronto suburb where Peterson lived, said, according to the Associated Press.

"The world has lost an important jazz player. It isn't just a loss for Canada, he was world famous," said McCallion.

During his career he gained seven Grammy awards and was elected in 1978 to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. He also belongs to the Juno Awards Hall of Fame and the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame.

Over his seventy-decade career, Peterson played with some illustrious names in jazz like Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Dizzy Gillespie. He is also known to have toured in a trio with Ray Brown on bass and Herb Ellis on guitar in the 50s. His influences are said to be Teddy Wilson, Nat King Cole and Art Tatum.

Peterson was also made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1972 and promoted to Companion in 1984. He received the Grammy Lifetime achievement Award (1997), the International Jazz Hall Of Fame Award (1997), the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award (1992), the Glenn Gould Prize (1993), the award of the International Society for Performing Artists in 1995.

He is a member of the Order of Ontario and Chevalier of the National Order of Quebec. In 2002 he published his memoirs, “A Jazz Odyssey: The Life of Oscar Peterson” after, previously, he donated his papers at the National Library of Canada.

He was always dedicated to his career even after he had suffered a stroke in 1993 at 68 which incapacitated his left hand. He recovered and resumed performing two years later.

"Age doesn't seem to enter into my thought to that great an extent. I just figure that the love I have of the instrument and my group and the medium itself works as a sort of a rejuvenating factor for me," he said in 200, according to the Canadian press.

Peterson has been married four times and had six children from his first and third marriages: Lyn, Sharon, Gay, Oscar Jr., Norman and Joel. He is also survived by his fourth wife Kelly and their daughter Celine.