Joseph Celestial Fos

The Joe Fos world is MUSIC! 

A legend of Sun Valley, Joe Fos, passed away on Friday, July 24, 2026, with his beloved wife by his side. Joe is remembered in our hearts as a gifted pianist who loved to entertain adoring audiences around the world. Known fondly as the "Sun Valley Piano Wizard," Joe became a true cultural icon in Idaho.

Born and raised in San Diego, Joe began his legendary career at the age of 14. While playing baseball at Morley Field in San Diego, Joe heard about a piano competition at the "Hotel del Coronado". Arriving late and still in his T-shirt and baseball cap, he played Hungarian Rhapsody

#2 

and won the prize of performing with Liberace on his TV show. Joe admitted he was flashy, but said, "Liberace was really a good pianist, very accurate".

Joe attended San Diego State University and was a proud member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. His TKE brothers fondly remember him for winning all three talent categories, for three years in a row during the 'Spring Sing' competitions. And, the poem on the back of his CD, “Joe’s Way”, was written by fellow SDSU student, Nann Epler, just for Joe. Years of formal training and education earned Joe a scholarship to "Juilliard School of Music" where he refined his classical technique and began his lifetime as a professional piano player. 

Building on his early successes, Joe was the Musical Director for “Sundown," the San Diego TV talk show on which he performed nightly while still in college. During one episode, Joe was surprised when actor Russ Tamblyn jumped up and actually danced to the score of "WestsideStory" on top of Joe's grand piano. Later Joe headlined his own nightclub for six years in San Diego, "The Four Winds", featuring local performers of a wide variety.

 Joe's musical career produced many wonderful experiences and collaborations. He went on the road for three years performing throughout the country, meeting Frank Sinatra Jr. in Las Vegas, and was even mentioned in Sinatra's biography about his kidnapping. While performing at the "King James" nightclub in Los Angeles, singer/actor Robert Goulet joked that he must have 14 fingers, and nicknamed him '14 Fingers Fos', which appeared on the marquee after that.

Another big highlight of Joe's career was introducing Japanese conductor, Seiji Ozawa, to the United States. Ozawa later became Musical Director of the Boston Symphony. Working in San Diego and Los Angeles Joe met many celebrities, Regis Philbin, Bert Bacharach, Elmer Bernstein and others, and exchanged music with composers Leonard Bernstein and Andre Previn. Even the soulful

Neville Brothers 

as well as the group America wanted Joe to join them. Joe also had the privilege of appearing in concert and on radio with theStan Kenton Band in Los Angeles.

 During the 1970s, Joe was the Entertainment Director at the prestigious, six-star "Westgate Hotel" in downtown San Diego. He performed nightly in the elegant

'Fontainebleau Room'

 where the waiters wore full-tail tuxedos and white gloves to serve guests. It was there that concert pianist Van Cliburn came to see Joe perform whenever he was in town. They discovered that they, as well as Misha Dichter and John Williams, were under the same tutelage while at "Juilliard School of Music", Madame Lhevinne. 

In 1979, Joe was brought to Idaho by Earl and Carol Holding, new owners of the "Westgate Hotel" who had purchased the Sun Valley Resort. Joe became the iconic entertainer at the world-famous 'Duchin Lounge' where his

Joe Fos Trio 

performed six nights a week to packed audiences, and for the Sun Valley Ice Shows in summer. For 44 years, Joe held court late into the night entertaining Sun Valley locals, tourists, celebrities, and a world of admiring fans, friends and family.

In 1987, Joe married the love of his life, Patricia, in an elegant ceremony in the Sun Valley 'Lodge Dining Room' with over 600 reception guests in the 'Limelight Room' at the Sun Valley Inn. Together, Joe and Patricia built a life of extensive professional travel as he performed throughout the world for many charities and fundraisers. They spent 39 wonderful years together, making Sun Valley their home.

Joe brought his professional blending and sensitive styling to a variety of venues. One of his favorites being the Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills. While performing there, Joe was approached by the six-star "Crystal Cruise Line" to join their family of entertainers. Joe was able to see the world doing what he loved most, playing piano! He often traveled with the love of his life when Patricia was able to join him on many of these adventures, and together they enjoyed a life of extraordinary memories. For 17 years, Joe dazzled travelers from his crystal-clear piano aboard ship during his spring and fall seasons away from Sun Valley. A master accompanist, Joe was approached by singer/actress, Julie Andrews, to sit in with him when she was on ship.

Throughout his career, Joe effortlessly wove timeless medleys of all styles: jazz, pop, Broadway, folk, classical masterpieces, and opera, entirely from memory. Over the years, Joe made many recordings, all in one take. "Unspoken Love", “Together Again”, “A Palette Of Love Songs” and "Joe's Way”, but his favorite CD was “Romantic Interlude”, with 6 minutes of "My Funny Valentine", and "I Have Dreamed" for Patricia.

Joe hosted Pianorama as part of the 'Sun Valley Jazz Festival' (formerly the 'Sun Valley Swing 'N' Dixie Jazz Jamboree'). Each year,Pianorama festival-goers looked forward to Joe's signature performances. Fellow musicians would come into the Lounge at night, after their own Jazz obligations (horns, bongos, marimba, and others) all joined/sat in with Joe's trio, jamming until the wee hours (5:00AM or 6:00AM). Another memorable event was when Joe was commissioned by Disney to perform on their TV Special "Fantasy On Ice" (all filmed in Sun Valley), where a touch of Disney 'magic' showed Olympic skater, Nancy Kerrigan, appear to be skating across the top of Joe’s grand piano by candlelight. 

Joe also arranged the music for and performed with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in their early years (now 'Music Festival'). They were annual, fun-filled fundraiser events where costumed revelers partied and raised money to benefit the Symphony. These parties were legendary with their changing themes and costumes each year, everyone vying to be awarded with an 'Oscar'. Themes like: "Camelot", "Salute to Disney", "Carnival Of The Animals", "Around the World in 80 Days" and "Hooray For Hollywood!". Another Sun Valley highlight was when Joe and fellow Sun Valley employee, Louis Stur, entertained the community with free classical two-piano duets in the Lodge Dining Room.

Ever the romantic, Joe was the genius and inspiration behind "Sun Valley Pro Musica"offering free performances to the public at the Sun Valley Opera House. These popular events began with a love-inspired Valentine's Day performance and grew to include holidays throughout the calendar year. This series eventually became the "Sun Valley Opera". Featuring Joe on piano, he was regularly joined by vocal artists: Katherine Edison/Soprano, Chuck Harshaw/Bass, Lynn Berg/Baritone, and Linda Berg/Mezzo-soprano, performing their classically-trained pieces, followed by a brief intermission where Joe would entertain the audience with his own selections, culminating with Joe and the singers performing Broadway show tunes and other popular varieties…clearly out of their comfort zone. They were always joined by guest singers from around the world. 

A very memorable moment in Joe and Patricia's life together was in 2001. A member of the San Diego Opera Board knew of Joe's fondness for Pavarotti and flew them to San Diego where they sat front and center to see Pavarotti's last performance at the San Diego Sports Arena. A highlight of this experience was a sit-down dinner afterward to meet Pavarotti himself.

Joe's fountain of musical repertoire all flowed from memory. With his gift for improvisation, he created arrangements in his head as he played. Joe never needed sheet music. His articulate style of piano conveyed his emotions into even the simplest of melodies, and he was able to get a whole orchestra-full of music out of any piano, all by himself! 

Joe is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Patricia (McKittrick) Fos of San Diego and Sun Valley, his brothers, sister, devoted nieces and nephew, an extended family of cousins, as well as an enduring universe of friends, fellow musicians and loyal Sun Valley community who always supported him and his career in so many ways.

It's a marvel how well Joe played and yet remained so modest. With social grace, he was a "gentleman" behind the brilliant pianist and his music. Joe's signature touch of classical styling is unparalleled. These talents and qualities are special 'gifts' … from Joe Fos to all of us, his listening audience.

A happy man, Joe was always smiling. He did a lot in his life, and his life together with Patricia was, in many ways, an idyllic fairy-tale love. Their love song is "I Have Dreamed" from "The King And I" Broadway musical and movie. This tribute to a truly gifted man, so well-loved by all who knew him, is sort of a 'hat tip' to our wonderful friend, Joe Fos, from all of us.

A celebration of Joe's life and music will be held in the fall to honor this true master of the keys who spent a lifetime filling the world with harmony. In the meantime, because Joe has not received any earnings since 2022, Patricia is still struggling financially. 

A “Go Fund Me” account has been set up to help: https://www.gofundme.com/f/fund-to-honor-joe-fos

There is also a Crowd Funding down below for donations to help Patricia Fos!

Joe’s Obituary is 

lovingly provided by contributions from his dear friends. 

Mortuary Services provided by 

Wood River Chapel (208)788-2244, 

with expenses lovingly funded anonymously in behalf of Joe and Patricia.