Jean Boyd, professor of musicology emerita in the School of Music at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, died on May 9. She was 74 years old.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Boyd began playing piano at the age of five. Music quickly became her lifelong passion, and she graduated from Baylor University in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in church music. She earned a master’s degree in music history from Baylor University and a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Texas.
Dr. Boyd joined the faculty at Baylor University in 1978. She was an expert on Western Swing music, publishing three books on the subject. Professor Boyd remained on the faculty at Baylor University for 48 years until her retirement in 2020. She also served as the organist and choir director at Zion Lutheran Church in McGregor, Texas, from 1980 to 2016.