Joseph Khezrie, the founder of Jimmy Jazz, has passed away at the age of 90. Jimmy Jazz opened its doors in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1988, named after Khezrie’s favorite song by the Clash and has over 170 stores across the U.S. today.
In an email with Footwear News, James Khezrie, the son of Joseph Khezrie and CEO of Jimmy Jazz stated the following.
“We regret to inform you of the passing of our founder and pillar, Joseph Khezrie. My father Joseph came to America in 1960 because of the freedom and opportunities afforded by the United States. His love for this country knew no bounds. In his early years, he saw an advertisement while commuting that stuck with him for life: ‘It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.’ Through hard work and perseverance, he managed to start E and J Lawrence, the parent company of Jimmy Jazz. He was deeply loyal and viewed every person as part of his family. He instilled in us the core values of loyalty, hard work, perseverance, integrity, and respect, to make this company a success. We aspire to continue his legacy and make Jimmy Jazz both the best it can be and propel it to greater success in the future,”
Jimmy Jazz’s Instagram posted a tribute that which can be seen here and states,
“Our founder, Joseph Khezrie was a deeply loyal, respectful, and hard-working man. We aspire to continue his legacy and make Jimmy Jazz the best it can be. Rest in peace.”
Our condolences goes out to the Khezrie family and friends as well as Jimmy Jazz.
