Renowned Edmonton jazz pianist and former senator Tommy Banks has died.

Banks was both a Juno and Gemini award winner and hosted “The Tommy Banks Show” on television from 1968-to-1983.

His family says he died peacefully yesterday at a palliative care unit in Edmonton.

Over a 50-year career Banks covered virtually aspect of Canadian entertainment. He was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2000 and served until his term ended in 2011.

Tommy Banks was 81.