Playing the piano at Fourways Inn in Warwick, four times a week for years, Tony Bari took requests for old standards such as It’s A Wonderful World, over and over again, always with a smile on his face.

“I love entertaining people,” he told The Royal Gazette in an interview in April. “I have no thoughts of retirement. I will be dead on the piano.”

Mr Bari passed away only two months later on June 12. Now his friend and fellow musician Wendell “Shine” Hayward, is paying tribute to his life and legacy by arranging a scholarship for students at the Bermuda School of Music.

The music school in the Old Berkeley Cultural Centre in Pembroke welcomed the scholarship.

“The school is very appreciative,” Bermuda School of Music director Christine Patton said.

The scholarship stands at $1,000, so far, and a young piano student has already been chosen to receive it.

Mr Bari’s widow, Marlene Bicchieri, said the scholarship would not always go specifically to a student studying piano, but it was nice that the first recipient shared her husband’s passion for the instrument.

“The name of the first recipient will be announced at our Pre Labour Day Comedy Meets Jazz Sunset Dinner Cruise on September 1,” Mr Hayward said.

Mr Bari and Mr Hayward were great friends and often worked together.

Back in the 1990s, the pair wrote a song called Nishanthi, for Mr Hayward’s daughter Nishanthi Bailey.

“For years afterward, every time she entered a room where Tony was playing, he would immediately play her song,” Mr Hayward said.

“Tony is someone worthy of having his memory kept alive. I thought the scholarship would be a way to help young musicians coming behind him.”

Mr Hayward said that down the road he might create a charity in Mr Bari’s name, but it was still early days.

Mr Bari used to help Mr Hayward organise an International Jazz Day concert in Bermuda each year.

“Whether it was reading a proclamation on the steps of City Hall, performing, or helping me to organise, Tony was always there,“ Mr Hayward said.

Earlier this year, Mr Bari suggested they recognise legendary American pianist Duke Ellington for the 2024 celebration in April.

Mr Hayward insisted they also pay tribute to someone closer to home – Mr Bari. Mr Hayward wanted to recognise his friend’s contributions to the local music scene.

Ms Bicchieri said during the International Jazz Day event held at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club that her husband was moved by the nice things people said about him.

“That evening meant so much to him and to all of us,” Ms Bicchieri said.

“He was so humbled. He had no idea how many people he had touched through his music. It was an amazing evening.”

One of the things people remarked on during the evening, was how much Mr Bari had encouraged local musicians.

“Every other Sunday, he would invite a student from the Bermuda School of Music to perform alongside him at Fourways,” Ms Bicchieri said.

“It gave the student a chance to gain experience playing in front of a crowd, in a welcoming setting.”

Now Mr Hayward hopes to continue to raise funds for the scholarship through future International Jazz Day events in Bermuda.

Selena Fields, the president of the Bermuda Entertainment Union, donated to the scholarship fund.

“Tony and I were friends for many years,” Ms Fields said. “I moved here in 1990, and met him not long after that. In my position, I know all the local musicians, but I had a special fondness for him. I have many memories of going to the Reefs on a Monday night. Tony would be playing in the lounge, doing request after request.”

Mr Bari was involved in many BEU events.

“When we lost our immediate past president, Leroy Simmons, we held a benefit for him and Tony was a part of that event as well,” she said.

Now the BEU is looking at holding a benefit tribute concert in Mr Bari’s memory, to raise more funds for his scholarship.

Mr Bari arrived in Bermuda exactly 40 years ago.

Originally, from Boston, he spent the early years of his career travelling the world, playing the piano on cruise ships.

He first came to Bermuda in 1977, while working as a cruise director on the Holland America Line. He moved here permanently in 1984, and has two grown children, Anthony and Beth Bicchieri.

Ms Bicchieri is originally from Connecticut. The couple were introduced in 2007 when a friend of hers heard Mr Bari playing the at the Pompano Beach Club.

“She called and said she had met someone,” Ms Bicchieri remembered. “I said, but we like your husband. She said ‘not for me, for you!’”

The friend sent her a CD of Mr Bari’s music and she was intrigued.

“The music was really beautiful,” she said.

Later, they spoke on the phone. For their first date, Mr Bari took her to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston, the next time he was in the United States.

They were married on September 6, 2009.

Mr Bari’s death came as a sudden, devastating shock.

He died only two days after cancer was confirmed.

“We never had time to seek treatment,” Ms Bicchieri said.

There was not even time to identify the type of cancer Mr Bari had.

The Pre-Labour Day Comedy Meets Jazz Sunset Dinner Cruise on the MV Elizabeth will be on September 1.

The boat will leave Albuoy’s Point in Hamilton at 4pm with entertainment running from 5pm to 9pm.

The night will involve a mixture of jazz and comedy with performers such as the Raymond George Quartet, Gita Blakeney Saltus, comedians Bootsie and Jah Simmons and many others. Food will be provided by Wilk’s Catering.

Tickets are $100 available at www.bdatix.bm

• To donate to the Tony Bari music scholarship, contact the Bermuda School Music by calling 296-5100.