09/02/2026
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Shane Morrow, a dedicated community leader and visionary.
Shane gave so much of his time, energy and heart to making Chattanooga a better place. Through his leadership and commitment to others, he touched countless lives and helped make our community stronger.
Shane Reynald Morrow, beloved life partner, musician, artist, community builder, helper, connector, and visionary, passed away August 26, 2026 at the age of 57.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Shane was the son of the late Cheryl Morrow Tinsley and Larry Black. He graduated from Central High School in Bridgeport and continued his education at Housatonic Community College, where he completed a two-year program in computer programming.
Shane was a musician at heart. Coming from generations of piano players, music was both a gift and a language through which he connected with others. But Shane's passion extended far beyond his own creativity. He believed deeply in the power of the arts to bring people together, preserve culture, create opportunity, and make communities stronger.
Shane was, above all, a helper and a connector.
He had a remarkable ability to see possibility in people, sometimes before they could see it in themselves. He connected artists to opportunities, people to resources, friends to one another, and ideas to the people who could help make them real. If someone needed help, Shane looked for a way to provide it. If someone had a gift that deserved to be seen, he looked for a stage. If there was a door that needed to be opened, Shane would open it.
That spirit was at the heart of Jazzanooga, which Shane co-founded with his life partner, James McKissic. What began in 2011 as a celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month grew into an organization dedicated to celebrating Chattanooga's rich Black musical heritage, expanding access to the arts, and creating opportunities for artists and communities too often overlooked.
Shane believed that the arts should belong to everyone. He worked to remove the financial, cultural, and social barriers that could prevent people from experiencing them. Under his leadership, Jazzanooga grew from a festival into a year-round community arts organization, eventually evolving into RISE Chattanooga, Responsive Initiatives for Social Empowerment.
Through RISE, Shane's vision grew even broader. Music remained central, but so did entrepreneurship, cultural preservation, professional development for creatives, community empowerment, and creating opportunities for Black and Brown artists, businesses, and neighborhoods. Whether through a concert in a city park, a program for young musicians, support for a creative entrepreneur, or simply introducing two people who needed to know one another, Shane understood that building community was about building relationships.
Shane's impact cannot be measured only by the organizations he founded, the programs he created, or the performances he helped bring to Chattanooga. His true legacy lives in people: the artists he encouraged, the young people he inspired, the entrepreneurs he supported, the friendships he nurtured, the introductions he made, the opportunities he created, and the many people he helped simply because helping was part of who he was.
Shane was preceded in death by his parents, Cheryl Morrow Tinsley and Larry Black.
He leaves behind his partner of nearly thirty years, James McKissic, his baby, Zora McKissic; his aunts and uncles Russel Ray, David Ray, Barney Ray, Mary Ray, Lance Morrow, Brent Morrow, Jason Morrow, Eugenia McCallister; and an extended network of cousins, friends, artists, musicians, colleagues, neighbors, and community members whose lives were enriched by Shane’s friendship, generosity, creativity, and care.
Shane believed that creativity could transcend barriers and that everyone deserved the opportunity to experience the joy, dignity, and connection that the arts can provide. He spent his life putting that belief into practice.
The music, relationships, organizations, and community Shane helped build will continue. And in each person he connected to another, each artist he encouraged to step onto a stage, each idea he helped become reality, and each person he stopped to help along the way, a part of Shane remains.
His was a life of creativity, service, connection, and love. And the community he spent so much of his life building will carry his spirit forward.
The community is invited to join family and friends of Shane Morrow in a celebration of his life through music and the arts on September 20, 2026, 4:00 pm at the Walker Theater in the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37402. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to honor Shane’s memory with a donation to the Sankofa Fund for Civic Engagement. Donations will support youth music programs in Chattanooga, reflecting Shane’s love of music, the arts, and the importance of creating opportunities for young people in our community.
To make a donation, please visit:
https://cfgc.fcsuite.com/erp/donate
Select “Sankofa Fund”, and follow the prompts to complete your gift.
Your generosity is a meaningful way to celebrate Shane’s life and help carry forward his legacy through music and the arts
