- Father of James Mtume.
- Brother of Percy Heath, and Albert Tootie Heath.
- Grandfather of Benin Mtume, Faulu Mtume, and Ife Mtume.
- Friends with Bill Cosby, Clark Terry, and Betty Carter.
- In the 1970s, he co-founded the Heath Brothers, which also featured brothers Percy on bass and Albert ("Tootie") on drums.
- He was a jazz saxophonist and composer. He wrote most of the material for the Chet Baker-Art Pepper album Playboys. He recorded with many legendary artists, including Miles Davis. John Coltrane, and Gil Evans, as well as making several of his own albums.
- Survived by his wife Mona, two children, James Mtume and Rozie, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Another son Jeffrey died in 2010.
- Received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jazz Foundation of America.
- 2003 recipient of the American Jazz Master Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
- Received an honorary doctorate from Julliard.
- Co-founder of the CUNY-Queens College jazz program.
- The intersection of 34th Ave & 114th St in Corona, Queens, New York was co-named James Edward Heath Way on 20 May 2022.
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