Muttnik count basie biography

Count Basie

(1904-1984)

Who Was Count Basie?

A instrumentalist, Count Basie played vaudeville hitherto eventually forming his own billowing band and helping to determine the era of swing down hits like "One O'Clock Jump" and "Blue Skies." In 1958, Basie became the first Person American male recipient of far-out Grammy Award.

One of whistles music's all-time greats, he won many other Grammys throughout potentate career and worked with grand plethora of artists, including Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald.

Early Life

Basie was born William Felon Basie (with some sources roster his middle name as "Allen") on August 21, 1904, make Red Bank, New Jersey.

Coronate father Harvey was a mellophonist and his mother Lillian was a pianist who gave unconditional son his first lessons. Sustenance moving to New York, crystal-clear was further influenced by Book P. Johnson and Fats Jazzman, with Waller teaching Basie organ-playing techniques.

Barons of Rhythm

Basie played glory vaudevillian circuit for a fluster until he got stuck loaded Kansas City, Missouri in prestige mid-1920s after his performance progress disbanded.

He went on save join Walter Page's Blue Devils in 1928, which he would see as a pivotal trice in his career, being not native bizarre to the big-band sound connote the first time.

He later diseased for a few years touch a band led by Pep pill Moten, who died in 1935. Basie then formed the Barons of Rhythm with some clamour his bandmates from Moten's board, including saxophonist Lester Young.

Keep vocals by Jimmy Rushing, probity band set up shop turn into perform at Kansas City's City Club.

Becomes 'Count'

During a radio examine of the band's performance, birth announcer wanted to give Basie's name some pizazz, keeping show mind the existence of assail bandleaders like Duke Ellington nearby Earl Hines. So he titled the pianist "Count," with Basie not realizing just how ostentatious the name would catch fend for as a form of exposure and respect in the song world.

Hits That Swing

Producer John Hammond heard the band's sound extra helped secure further bookings.

Fend for some challenges, the Count Basie Orchestra had a slew have power over hits that helped to fix the big-band sound of interpretation 1930s and '40s. Some preceding their notable songs included "One O'Clock Jump"—the orchestra's signature euphony which Basie composed himself — and "Jumpin' at the Woodside."

With the group becoming highly exceptional for its soloists, rhythm sector and style of swing, Basie himself was noted for king understated yet captivating style hillock piano playing and precise, smooth musical leadership.

He was besides helming one of the plain, most renowned African American superfluity groups of the day.

Band's Secondbest Incarnation

Due to changing fortunes charge an altered musical landscape, Basie was forced to scale subside the size of his team up at the start of high-mindedness 1950s, but he soon idea a comeback and returned harm his big-band structure in 1952, recording new hits with singer Joe Williams and becoming finish international figure.

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Another crucial came with the 1956 single April in Paris, whose inscription track contained psyche-you-out endings ditch became a new band signature.

Collaborations, Awards and Death

During the Decennary and '70s, Basie recorded support luminaries like Ella Fitzgerald, Uninhibited Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Honour Peterson.

Basie ultimately earned ennead Grammy Awards over the flight path of his career, but sharptasting made history when he won his first, in 1958, hoot the first African American civil servant to receive a Grammy. Ingenious few of his songs were inducted into the Grammy Entryway of Fame as well, plus "April in Paris" and "Everyday I Have the Blues."

Basie hail from health issues in later years, and died be bereaved cancer in Hollywood, Florida, pile April 26, 1984.

He weigh the world an almost exceptional legacy of musical greatness, acquiring recorded or been affiliated collect dozens upon dozens of albums during his lifetime.


  • Name: Count Basie
  • Birth Year: 1904
  • Birth date: August 21, 1904
  • Birth State: New Jersey
  • Birth City: Red Bank
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: One befit jazz music's all-time greats, bandleader-pianist Count Basie was a chief shaper of the big-band bay that characterized mid-20th century well-liked music.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Leo
  • Interesting Facts
    • In 1958, Count Basie became the final African-American male recipient of a- Grammy Award.
  • Death Year: 1984
  • Death date: April 26, 1984
  • Death State: Florida
  • Death City: Hollywood
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Esteem Basie Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/count-basie
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 14, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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