 He died of a heart attack in August 1940, in Chicago.Known for his professionalism and virtuosity as a musician and his heartfelt, heavily blues-laden style, Dodds was an important influence on later clarinetists, notably Benny Goodman, who stated that no one ever surpassed Dodds in achieving a finer tone with the clarinet.Dodds was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in 1987.