▁T ete ▁Mont oli u . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Born ▁Leo ▁Morris ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁he ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁city ' s ▁ 1 3 th ▁Ward . ▁He ▁showed ▁early ▁talent ▁as ▁a ▁per cussion ist ▁and ▁began ▁his ▁professional ▁career ▁while ▁still ▁a ▁te en ager , ▁playing ▁on ▁F ats ▁Dom ino ’ s ▁" Blue berry ▁Hill ". ▁▁ ▁He ▁tou red ▁with ▁Sam ▁Co oke , ▁and ▁later ▁worked ▁with ▁Jerry ▁Butler ▁and ▁Curt is ▁May field , ▁mostly ▁working ▁in ▁R & B ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁before ▁going ▁on ▁to ▁work ▁more ▁frequently ▁in ▁jazz . ▁ ▁Muhammad ▁was ▁an ▁end or ser ▁of ▁Ist an bul ▁Ag op ▁C ym b als . ▁ ▁He ▁died ▁aged ▁ 7 4 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁He ▁changed ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁Id ris ▁Muhammad ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁upon ▁his ▁conversion ▁to ▁Islam . ▁Spe aking ▁of ▁his ▁name ▁change , ▁he ▁later ▁noted ▁in ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Modern ▁Dr um mer ▁magazine , ▁" One ▁gu y ▁told ▁me ▁that ▁if ▁I ▁changed ▁my ▁name , ▁I ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁problem ▁because ▁no ▁one ▁would ▁know ▁that ▁Leo ▁Morris ▁and ▁Id ris ▁Muhammad ▁were ▁the ▁same ▁gu y ... But ▁I ▁thought , ▁well , ▁if ▁I ▁stay ▁the ▁same ▁person , ▁then ▁people ▁will ▁know ▁it ’ s ▁me . ▁And ▁it ▁worked ▁like ▁that .