With profound sadness and a deep sense of loss, we announce Stephen Bruce Fulton, age 71, of Norman Oklahoma, passed away on September 4, 2025 after battling with kidney disease and its complications for the past 6 years. His wife Susan was by his side holding his hand, as she had for the last 53 years. He was a loving husband, a great musician, a dedicated teacher, a wonderful father, a devoted brother and a good friend to many.
He was born in Coalgate Oklahoma on July 31, 1954 to William Paul Fulton and Christiana Heck Fulton and was the oldest of four siblings. As a little boy, he grew up close to his grandparents, Paul and Virginia Fulton of Wilson OK and Harry and Marie (Heck) Bronsema of Norman OK. He loved going to the movies at the Sooner Theater with Marie, working on cars with Harry, feeding the cattle with Paul, and making ice cream with Virginia. He was their first grandson on both sides and was called their “Sweet Dumpling.”
His family lived in Oklahoma, Missouri, California, and finally Texas, where he would attend Houston’s Aldine High School, class of 1972. With the purchase of the family’s new home came a new stereo and a set of high fidelity records; it was these albums, including Lionel Hampton’s “Silver Vibes” that led Stephen to fall in love with Jazz. It was also in high school that Stephen would meet the love of his life, his wife Susan Melchor Fulton. They married in 1974 and in 1975 Stephen and Susan would move to Norman Oklahoma to attend the University of Oklahoma and become lifelong Sooner fans.
It was during his college years that he started his first band, Oleo (members Morris Nelms on piano, Richard Thompson on drums, and Lynn Seaton on bass), and began his professional career as a Jazz trumpeter, flugelhorn player, educator and band leader. In the late 1970’s he began meeting many of his Jazz heroes, including St. Louis’ Clark Terry, with whom he would become lifelong friends and professional partners. While in Oklahoma his band performed at many OU sporting events and game days on Campus Corner, and at this time he worked with OU’s opera legend Thomas Carey to found Norman’s Jazz Festival, Jazz in June.
He loved Norman Oklahoma: riding his motorcycle, fishing at Lake Thunderbird, and going to OU games. During the 1980’s he was on the road with Woody Herman and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, before returning home for the birth of his only daughter, Champian, in 1985. His focus changed to raising his daughter and she went everywhere with him, from band rehearsals to performances to running errands around town. Through his friendship with Clark Terry he began to teach at Jazz camps and also to develop relationships with many of his Jazz heroes such as Dexter Gordon, Joe Williams, Charles Fox, Chris Woods, Snooky Young, Red Holloway, and Marshal Royal; his professional career continued to grow and in 1991 Stephen moved his family to Houston, where he would develop one of the most important musical relationships of his life with the great alto saxophonist Jimmy Ford.
Stephen and Jimmy spent countless hours together practicing and studying the music of Charlie Parker. Stephen was very musically inspired at this time, and their musical endeavors culminated in several recordings, Volume 1 and 2, released in 1994.
In 1993 Stephen was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Trumpet Competition and was also asked, by Clark himself, to be the director of the Clark Terry Institute of Jazz Studies in LeMars Iowa (1993 - 1997). It was a small program of elite students, who quickly became an award winning college Jazz band. These years at the CT Institute developed Stephen into a premiere Jazz educator. He would go on to influence students for the rest of his life, through private lessons and 10 years at Birch Creek Music Academy in Wisconsin.
His most important student was his daughter Champian; they formed their first band in 1997 after moving back to Norman Oklahoma, in which he played drums (band members were Champian, Stephen, Monte Butts on bass and David “Bull” Stewart on saxophone). They would perform regularly until 2023; traveling around the world. Some of their favorite performances included playing at Birdland in NYC, The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head Island, Makers in Oklahoma City and the 7 concert tour of Israel in 2015. Stephen and Champian would record 6 albums together, although Stephen would be the executive producer on more than 10 of her albums. He oversaw much of her career, from the creative aspect to the business. Stephen would often begin his phone calls, “This is the home office checking in.” Together they played with many great musicians such as Jimmy Cobb, Lou Donaldson, David Williams, Louis Hayes, Frank Wess, and their longtime quartet of Fukushi Tainaka on drums and Hide Tanaka on bass.
Stephen and Susan lived in New York City from 2010 through 2020, where he enjoyed being able to perform and “hang out” on the Jazz scene. You could always find Stephen, horn in hand, at a gig or a jam session in town. With his health failing, he retired to his hometown of Norman Oklahoma in 2021.
Stephen loved people and he loved conversation. He would make many friends over the years, not only in his professional field, but at the post office, a restaurant, his neighborhood and even at Walmart. Children were particularly fond of Stephen, many thinking he bore a strong resemblance to Santa Claus. He loved children and over the years he extended much charity to children in need, supplying them with presents, good advice, and kindness. He will be missed by many, including his best friend of the last few years, Colt Hodge.
Stephen is preceded in death by his mother Christiana Fulton, his father Billy Paul Fulton, and his sister Angela Huser, his parents in law Ben and Josephine Melchor, his brother-in-law Johnny Melchor. He is survived by his wife Susan, daughter Champian, brother William Sean Fulton, sister-in-law Vicky, niece Jade Rukthavornsakul and husband Austin, grand-nieces NovaLee and IvyLynn, grand-nephew Hendrix, nephew Jake Fulton, brother David Fulton, niece Stephanie Huser Coker and husband Cliff Coker, grand-nieces Christiana, Beatrice and Vivienne Coker, sister-in-law Mary and husband James Roberts, brother-in-law Benny Melchor, sister-in-law Gloria and husband Lionel Woolard, sister-in-law Linda and husband Edward Patson, brother-in-law Jessie Melchor, sister-in-law Sandy Melchor, sister-in-law Margaret and husband Arnold Alvarez, and sister-in-law Dale and husband Frankie McNutt.
There are no public services planned
Stephen Fulton’s Selected Discography
Jimmy Ford & Stephen Fulton, Volume 2, 1997
After Dark, Champian Fulton, 2016
Christmas with Champian, Champian Fulton, 2017
Birdsong, Champian Fulton, 2020
Live from Lockdown, Champian Fulton, 2021
