He is rumored to have refused to play with the band on Friday, December 13 of that year for superstitious reasons, spurring his dismissal[11] although Young and drummer Jo Jones would later state that his departure had been in the works for months. To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with the arrangements that enabled his band to break through a year earlier, lent Mr. Basie some of his arrangements. Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy Awards. Young was the subject of an opera, Prez: A Jazz Opera, that was written by Bernard Cash and Alan Plater and broadcast by BBC television in 1985. These performances were generally well attended by other drummers such as Max Roach and Roy Haynes. While he recuperated his band continued to fulfill engagements, frequently with Nat Pierce taking Mr. Basie's place at the piano and sometimes with guest conductors such as the trumpeter Clark Terry, who was a member of the Basie band in the 1940's. I decided that I would be one of the biggest new names; and I actually had some little fancy business cards printed up to announce it, Count Basie. The causes of death rooted in complex mental health and substance abuse issues, such as drug overdoses and suicide, comprise a relatively small portion of deaths, but are increasing faster than most other causes. He rose to fame after taking over Bennie Moten's band in 1935. While with Basie, Young made small-group recordings for Milt Gabler's Commodore Records, The Kansas City Sessions. Basie studied music with his mother and was later influenced by the Harlem pianists James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, receiving informal tutelage on the organ from the latter. Mr. Basie was, along with Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, one of the pre-eminent bandleaders of the Big Band era in the 1930's and 40's. His father was a railroad worker. Sources:[22][23]. At a White House reception, President Reagan said that Mr. Basie was ''among the handful of musicians that helped change the path of American music in the 30's and the 40's'' and that he had ''revolutionized jazz.''. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Performance & security by Cloudflare. He earned the nickname, "Count," because of his stylish way of playing the piano. Sorry! You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Scale for the musicians at the Reno Club, where beer was a nickel and whisky was 15 cents, was $15 a week for playing from 8 P.M. to 4 A.M., except Saturdays when it was 8 P.M. until 8 A.M. And it was a seven-day week. One of Kansas City's own, Ronald McFadden, 66, who together with his brother Lonnie, is well known for entertaining audiences in Kansas City and worldwide, died unexpectedly Monday evening. Verify and try again. His playing showed reliance on a small number of clichd phrases and reduced creativity and originality, despite his claims that he did not want to be a "repeater pencil" (Young coined this phrase to describe the act of repeating one's own past ideas). He thought he could never outmatch Greers talent, so he took up piano at 15. Gradually, member by member, the Count Basie Orchestra was born, and . When is Count Basies birthday? Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Ruling Planet: Count Basie had a ruling planet of Sun and has a ruling planet of Sun and by astrological associations Saturday is ruled by Sun. ''Can you imagine a man who kind of romps around the piano,'' Mr. Shearing said, ''and those tiny tinkling things. His father, Harvey Lee Basie, was a coachman and caretaker; his mother, Lillian Childs Basie, was a laundress, taking in washing and ironing. Count Basie was a Leo and was born in the G.I. The broadcast was picked up one night by John Hammond, the jazz enthusiast who had discovered Billie Holiday and helped Benny Goodman start his band. Instrument (s) Drums. During this period Young accompanied the singer Billie Holiday in a couple of studio sessions (19371941) and also made a small set of recordings with Nat "King" Cole (their first of several collaborations) in June 1942. Outstanding soloists such as tenor saxophonists Lucky Thompson, Paul Quinichette, and Eddie Lockjaw Davis and trumpeters Clark Terry and Charlie Shavers, figured prominently. Although they were recorded in New York (in 1938, with a reunion in 1944), they are named after the group, the Kansas City Seven, and comprised Buck Clayton, Dicky Wells, Basie, Young, Freddie Green, Rodney Richardson, and Jo Jones. For many of the other participants, the photo shoot was the last time they saw him alive; he was the first musician in the famous photo to pass away. During the 1960s and '70s, Basie recorded with luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. William James " Count " Basie ( / besi /; August 21, 1904 - April 26, 1984) [1] was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Arrangers Neal Hefti, Buster Harding, and Ernie Wilkins defined the new bands sound on recordings such as Lil Darlin, The Kid from Red Bank, Cute, and April in Paris and on celebrated albums such as The Atomic Mr. Basie (1957). Count Basie, byname of William Basie, (born August 21, 1904, Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.died April 26, 1984, Hollywood, Florida), American jazz musician noted for his spare, economical piano style and for his leadership of influential and widely heralded big bands. Young is described as playing the clarinet in a "liquid, nervous style. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. From that time on, I was a daily customer, hanging onto every note, sitting behind him all the time. The impact Basie had can be seen across the country. He was also helming one of the biggest, most renowned African American jazz groups of the day. In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated . [11] " Police deemed it suicide, Kuehl having supposedly jumped from her hotel room, although there was no proof of this", [3] and her family believes she may have been murdered. Biography - A Short Wiki Swing-era bandleader noted for his theme songs One O'Clock Jump from 1937 and April in Paris from 1932. Best Known For: One of jazz music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Count Basie was a primary shaper of the big-band sound that characterized mid-20th century popular music. During his career, Nestico composed, arranged, or conducted albums for musicians and singers including Quincy Jones, Phil Collins, Barbra Streisand, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Toni Tennille, Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby. People of this zodiac sign like to be admired, expensive things, bright colors, and dislike being ignored, facing difficulties, not being treated specially. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Jazz critic and record producer John Hammond heard the broadcasts and promptly launched the band on its career. First commercially issued collection of Young as band leader. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. She gave Lester the nickname "Prez" after President Franklin Roosevelt, the "greatest man around" in Billie's mind. Discography. Jazz Musician. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. His father was a student of the mellophone, and his mother was a pianist. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Pop Tunes With a Kick, ''Of course, I wanted to play real jazz. He was represented at the ceremony by his children Lester Young Jr and Yvette Young.[36]. Though rooted in the riff style of the 1930s swing-era big bands, the Basie orchestra played with the forceful drive and carefree swing of a small combo. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. During his tenure, a composition by Nestico led President Johnson to remark "You call this music?" A pianist, Count Basie played vaudeville before eventually forming his own big band and helping to define the era of swing with hits like "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." In 1963, he switched to the Marines and became director and arranger of the United States Marine Band, where he served under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Drummer of the Count Basie Orchestra Passed Away, Obituary - YouTube 0:00 / 0:36 Butch Miles Cause of Death? In contrast to many of his hard-driving peers, Young played with a relaxed, cool tone and used sophisticated harmonies, using what one critic called "a free-floating style, wheeling and diving like a gull, banking with low, funky riffs that pleased dancers and listeners alike". Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. To go on the road, Mr. Basie expanded his nine- piece band to 13 pieces. After moving to New York, he was further influenced by James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, with Waller teaching Basie organ-playing techniques. [1] He participated in the Jazz at the Philharmonic concert series.[1]. "[25], Young made his final studio recordings and live performances in Paris in March 1959 with drummer Kenny Clarke at the tail end of an abbreviated European tour during which he ate next to nothing and drank heavily. He began working as an arranger for Count Basie in 1967, and wrote and arranged all the music for Basie's 1968 LP Basie Straight Ahead. Basie ultimately earned nine Grammy Awards over the course of his career, but he made history when he won his first, in 1958, as the first African American man to receive a Grammy. Within less than six months, however, Mr. Basie was back at the keyboard. In 2021, Nestico died in Carlsbad, California, at the age of 96. Then he joined a touring show headed by one Gonzel White, playing piano in a four-piece band. He eventually relocated the Cherry Blossoms to Chicago, then to New York City. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. His father Harvey was a mellophonist and his mother Lillian was a pianist who gave her son his first lessons. Count Basie was born in 1900s. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. There was a problem getting your location. As a pianist Basie was equally great and was intensely rhythmic, using as few notes as possible. Generation. I had never heard the blues played like that. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. The Count Basie Theatre in Redbank, New Jersey. The best-known of these appearances is the July 1957 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival, with a line-up including many of his 1940s colleagues: Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge, Illinois Jacquet and Jimmy Rushing. Count Basie was born on the 21st of August, 1904. On December 8, 1957, Young appeared with Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, and Gerry Mulligan in the CBS television special The Sound of Jazz, performing Holiday's tune "Fine and Mellow." All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). In 1981 OyamO (Charles F. Gordon) published the book The Resurrection of Lady Lester, subtitled "A Poetic Mood Song Based on the Legend of Lester Young", depicting Young's life. Try again later. Basie decided to form a medium-sized band in 1950, juggling combinations of all-star . [1], Samuel Luigi Nistico was born on February 6, 1924, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Luigi Nistico, an Italian immigrant, and Frances Mangone. Unlike many white musicians, who were placed in band outfits such as the ones led by Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw, Young was assigned to the regular army where he was not allowed to play his saxophone. [4] In 1939, he wrote his first arrangement. Lester Young also had a direct influence on the young Charlie Parker, and thus the entire be-bop movement. When William James "Count" Basie died of cancer in 1984, he left his $1.5 million fortune in a trust to provide for his only child. Drummer of the Count Basie Orchestra Passed Away, Obituary Teach World 1.12K. So he called the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how much the name would catch on as a form of recognition and respect in the music world. I thought he was kidding, shrugged my shoulders and repled, 'O.K.' Nestico continued to provide arrangements for Basie until Basie's death in 1984, and four of Nestico's collaborations with Basie earned Grammy . His autobiography (as told to Albert Murray), entitled Rifftide: The Life and Opinions of Papa Jo Jones and based on conversations between Jones and novelist Murray from 1977 to before Jones' death in 1985, was posthumously published in 2011 by the University of Minnesota Press.[2]. Jones also continued a ride rhythm on hi-hat, while it was continuously opening and closing instead of the common practice of only striking it while it was closed. With Mr. Basie's 13 men in full cry at one end of this elongated closet, the sound ricocheting off the walls and rocketing down from the low ceiling, no listener could escape the exhilarating power of the band. His daughter, Diane Basie, now 71 and living in Florida. While growing up in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, he worked from the age of five to make money for the family. Here is all you want to know, and more! He received an Honorary Doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. In addition, he played trombone, in the big bands of Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, and Charlie Barnet. [18] He was given a military burial later in 2021. Young was the subject and inspiration of Prez. During 1950 and 51, economy forced Basie to front an octet, the only period in his career in which he did not lead a big band. Young's solo was brilliant, acclaimed by some observers as an unparalleled marvel of economy, phrasing and extraordinarily moving emotion; Nat Hentoff, one of the show's producers, later commented, "Lester got up, and he played the purest blues I have ever heard in the control room we were all crying. Mausoleum, South Forsythia Court, Row 57, Tier D, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1664/count-basie. As a result, the band got a date at the Grand Terrace in Chicago. After some challenges, the Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. Failed to delete memorial. From the Grand Terrace, it moved on to New York and Roseland Ballroom (playing opposite Woody Herman's new, young band) where listeners complained that it was out of tune (not a surprising reaction since many of Mr. Basie's musicians were blowing patched-up horns and saxophones held together by rubber bands). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. when asking how much a gig was going to pay.[31]. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. One of the band's most popular arrangements, ''April in Paris,'' was written in 1955 by Wild Bill Davis, a jazz organist who had originally developed it for his own small group. Live recording of Young and Potts in Washington were issued later. The Count Basie Orchestra had a slew of hits that helped to define the big-band sound of the 1930s and '40s. We have set your language to ''He certainly made a notch in musical history,'' said Benny Goodman, 75 years old, the jazz clarinetist and bandleader. This three-CD compilation celebrates the band's legendary Decca studio recordings made in New York when it was a hard-driving swing outfit on its way to becoming an American institution. This generation experienced much of their youth during the Great Depression and rapid technological innovation such as the radio and the telephone. Mr. Basie's wife, Catherine, died in April 1983. Count Basie Birth Name: William James Basie Occupation: Pianist Place Of Birth: Red Bank Date Of Birth: August21, 1904 Date Of Death: April 26, 1984 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: Black Nationality: American Count Basie was born on the 21st of August, 1904. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Young's career after World War II was far more prolific and lucrative than in the pre-war years in terms of recordings made, live performances, and annual income. Generation also known as The Greatest Generation. Count Basie AKA William Allen Basie Born: 21-Aug - 1904 Birthplace: Red Bank, NJ Died: 26-Apr - 1984 Location of death: Hollywood, FL Cause of death: Cancer - Pancreatic Remains: Buried, Pinelawn Memorial Park, Farmingdale, NY Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: Black Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Pianist, Jazz Musician Zodiac Sign: Count Basie was a Leo. In 1958, Count Basie became the first African-American male recipient of a Grammy Award. He was soon court-martialed. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. During his last years, he had difficulty walking and rode out on the stage on a motorized wheelchair which he sometimes drove with joyful abandon. Mr. Alexander agreed to lend the club $2,500 to install an air-conditioner if it would book the Basie band. His mother paid 25 cents per piano lesson for him when he was young. [4] Lester had two siblings a brother, Leonidas Raymond, known as Lee Young, who became a drummer, and a sister, Irma Cornelia. Is that all right with you?' On a flight to New York City, he suffered from internal bleeding due to the effects of alcoholism and died in the early morning hours of March 15, 1959, only hours after arriving back in New York, at the age of 49.[26]. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. He subsequently led a number of small groups that often included his brother, drummer Lee Young, for the next couple of years; live and broadcast recordings from this period exist. JUMP TO: Count Basies biography, facts, family, personal life, zodiac, videos and related celebs. ''And that's when the whole fire started,'' said Mr. Alexander.

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