REGINALD JORDAN "REGGIE" WATKINS

Reginald Jordan Watkins (Reggie) was one of Greater Kansas City’s most beloved musicians and music teachers.  His association with Churches, Schools and Organizations relative to the delivery of music was far reaching and wide for more than 50+ years

Reggie, having begun the study of piano/organ at the age of 5, on the same day with his older brother, age 7, Steven E. Boyd, Reggie was a master of several music delivery systems over his 65 years of life, foremost being mastery of his beloved Organ… B3, electric or wind pipe organ.  He was a master Gospel, Classical, Jazz and R & B acoustic Pianist/electric keyboardist, a stand-up Bassist, a flautist and a Vocalist of great skill and range.  Reggie was a master mechanical technician who had the the ability to repair and tune most keyboard instruments.  Reggie was a master music theorist.  Reggie and Stevie enjoyed our Mother, Ruth B. Watkins persistence and effort to expose her two budding child musicians to every genre of music in those precious early years.  Reggie, particularly showed phenomenal musical prodigy signs at the age of 5 and advanced in his study and mastery qualitatively and quantitative throughout his life.

Reggie and Stevie’s first performance in public was in 1960, together,  at the YWCA then on 6th and State Ave., in Kansas City, Kansas for a luncheon of women which our Grandmother, Mrs. Oterah Mason was a member, entitled The Sisterhood. 

At the age of 14, 1968, Reggie, along with Robert Easterwood, accompanied Ms. Marian Love, a noted Kansas City jazz singer, on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

As of this writing we are still compiling the list of Reggie’s educational experiences, local-national-international associations, awards and major performances for a later version of his obituary.

Reginald Jordan Watkins was born September 13, 1954, to his Mother, Ruth Beatrice Love Watkins and his Father Hartzell Jordan Whyte. He departed this life March 31, 2020.

Reggie leaves a large host of family and an even larger host of friends here in Greater Kansas City, across the United States and around the world.

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