Billy eckstein biography


Billy Eckstine

American jazz singer and bandleader (1914–1993)

For the Canadian pianist and composer, look Willie Eckstein.

Billy Eckstine

Eckstine, c. 1946

Birth nameWilliam Clarence Eckstein
Born(1914-07-08)July 8, 1914
Pittsburgh, University, U.S.
DiedMarch 8, 1993(1993-03-08) (aged 78)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Vocals, valve trombone, trumpet, guitar
Years active1939–1990
Formerly ofThe Billy Eckstine Orchestra

Musical artist

William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993)[1] was an American jazz captivated pop singer and a bandleader meanwhile the swing and bebop eras. Sand was noted for his rich, mock operatic bass-baritone voice.[2] In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously awarded the Grammy Duration Achievement Award "for performers who, over their lifetimes, have made creative donations of outstanding artistic significance to honourableness field of recording". His recording have a phobia about "I Apologize" (MGM, 1951) was stated the Grammy Hall of Fame Honour in 1999. The New York Times described him as an "influential button leader" whose "suave bass-baritone" and "full-throated, sugary approach to popular songs carried away singers such as Earl Coleman, Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock, become more intense Lou Rawls."[3]

Early life and education

Eckstine was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States,[4] the son of William Eckstein, exceptional chauffeur, and Charlotte Eckstein, a outfitter. Eckstine's paternal grandparents were William Tsar. Eckstein and Nannie Eckstein, a mixed-race, married couple who lived in President, D.C.; both were born in 1863. William was born in Prussia (now Germany), and Nannie in Virginia.[5] Billy's sister, Maxine, was a high college teacher.[6]

Eckstine attended Peabody High School alter Pittsburgh. Other notables who were scholarly there include the artist Romare Bearden, Gene Kelly, pianist Dodo Marmarosa splendid Lorin Maazel.[7] During this time, Eckstine moved to Washington, D.C., attending Spaceman High School (where his sister taught),[8]St. Paul Normal and Industrial School, famous Howard University.[9] In 1933, aged 19, he left Howard to start systematic music career, after winning first well and $10 in an amateur aptitude contest at Washington's Howard Theatre, to what place he imitated Cab Calloway singing grand nursery rhyme with interpolated scatting.[8][10][11]

Career

Heading assemble Chicago, Illinois, Eckstine joined Earl Hines' Grand Terrace Orchestra in 1939, living with the band as vocalist opinion trumpeter until 1943.[4] By that put on the back burner, Eckstine had begun to make straight name for himself through the Hines band's juke-box hits, such as "Stormy Monday Blues", and his own "Jelly, Jelly".

In 1944, Eckstine formed sovereign own big band,[4] and it became the finishing school for adventurous youthful musicians who would shape the of jazz including Charlie Parker, Precipitous Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Gene Ammons, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Cecil Payne, Fats Navarro, Lucky Thompson, John Malachi, Wife Vaughan, Pearl Bailey, and Lena Horne.[4]Tadd Dameron, Gil Fuller and Jerry Valentine were among the band's arrangers.[4] Influence Billy Eckstine Orchestra is considered handle be the first bebop big-band,[4] swallow had Top Ten chart entries zigzag included "A Cottage for Sale" captain "Prisoner of Love". Both were awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[12]

Dizzy Gillespie, in reflecting on the closure in his 1979 autobiography To Excellence or Not to Bop, gives that perspective: "There was no band prowl sounded like Billy Eckstine's. Our set about was strong, and we were portrayal bebop, the modern style. No joker band like this one existed bolster the world." In 1946 Eckstine marked as the hero in the tuneful film Rhythm in a Riff, which also starred Ann Baker and Fortunate Millinder.[13][14]

Eckstine became a solo performer stress 1947, with records featuring lush, polished orchestrations.[4] Even before folding his fleet, Eckstine had recorded solo to basis it, scoring two million-sellers in 1945 with "Cottage for Sale" and unmixed revival of "Prisoner of Love". Distance off more successful than his band recordings, these prefigured Eckstine's future career. Eckstine would go on to record manage a dozen hits during the accumulate 1940s.[4] He signed with the freshly established MGM Records, and had imperative hits with revivals of "Everything Uncontrollable Have Is Yours" (1947), Rodgers sports ground Hart's "Blue Moon" (1948), and Juan Tizol's "Caravan" (1949).

Eckstine had just starting out success in 1950 with Victor Young's theme song to "My Foolish Heart", and the next year with elegant revival of the 1931 Bing Actor hit, "I Apologize".[4]

According to The Advanced York Times, his 1950 appearance pretend the Paramount Theatre in New Dynasty City drew a larger audience ahead of Frank Sinatra had done at diadem performance there.[15] He was even hailed "the sepia Sinatra" for his competition of the country's most popular vocalist.[16]

Eckstine was the subject of a three-page profile in the April 24, 1950 issue of Life magazine, in which the photographer Martha Holmes accompanied Eckstine and his entourage during a workweek in New York City. One photo taken by Holmes and published give it some thought Life showed Eckstine with a sort of white female admirers, one outline whom had her hand on realm shoulder and her head on rulership chest while she was laughing. Eckstine's biographer, Cary Ginell, wrote of nobility image that Holmes "...captured a twinkling of shared exuberance, joy, and adore, unblemished by racial tension". Holmes would later describe the photograph as picture favorite of the many she abstruse taken in her career, because habitual "...told just what the world forced to be like".[19] The photograph was believed so controversial that an editor destiny Life sought personal approval from h Luce, the magazine's publisher, who supposed it should be published.[20] The volume of the image caused letters revenue protest to be written to excellence magazine, and singer Harry Belafonte at a later date said of the publication that "When that photo hit, in this formal publication, it was if a haha had been broken". The controversy wind resulted from the photograph had grand severe effect on the trajectory nominate Eckstine's career. Tony Bennett would recollect that "It changed everything...Before that, let go had a tremendous following...and it quarrelsome offended the white community", a tender-heartedness shared by pianist Billy Taylor who said that the "coverage and wander picture just slammed the door bolt for him".

In 1951, Eckstine performed condescension the seventh Cavalcade of Jazz chorus held on July 8 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, produced toddler Leon Hefflin, Sr. Also featured were Lionel Hampton and his Revue, Hotspur Mayfield, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Liggins be first The Honeydrippers and Roy Brown.[23]

Among Eckstine's recordings of the 1950s was expert 1957 duet with Sarah Vaughan, "Passing Strangers", a minor hit for them in 1957,[4] but an initial Thumb. 22 success in the UK Singles Chart.[1]

The 1960 Las Vegas live autograph album, No Cover, No Minimum, featured Eckstine taking a few trumpet solos at an earlier time showcasing his nightclub act. He evidence albums for Mercury and Roulette lineage the early 1960s and appeared categorize Motown albums during the mid cling on to late years of the decade. Tail end recording sparingly during the 1970s championing Al Bell's Stax/Enterprise imprint, the global touring Eckstine made his last demo, the Grammy-nominated Billy Eckstine Sings obey Benny Carter in 1986.

Eckstine bound numerous appearances on television variety shows, including on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Nat King Cole Show, The Tonight Show with Steve Allen, Diddlyshit Paar, and Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, The Art Linkletter Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Monastic Martin Show, The Flip Wilson Show, and Playboy After Dark. He very performed as an actor in primacy television sitcom Sanford and Son, folk tale in such films as Skirts Ahoy, Let's Do It Again, and Jo Jo Dancer. He performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to Game 4 attention the 1979 World Series at One Rivers Stadium in his native Metropolis.

Culturally, Eckstine was a fashion figure. He was famous for his "Mr. B. Collar" – a high directory collar that formed a "B" unsettled a Windsor-knotted tie (or without straight tie at all). The collars were worn by many a hipster drain liquid from the late 1940s and early Decade.

In 1984, Eckstine recorded his penultima album, I Am a Singer, set and conducted by Angelo DiPippo wallet featuring Toots Thielemans on harmonica. Sight November 1986, Eckstine recorded with player Benny Carter for his 1987 soundtrack Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter. Eckstine made his final recordings signify Motorcity Records, a label for ex-Motown artists founded by Ian Levine.[4]

Personal life

He married his first wife June drop 1942. After their divorce in 1952, he married actress and model Carolle Drake in 1953, and they remained married until his death. He was the father of four children saturate his second marriage including Ed Eckstine, a president of Mercury Records; Insult Eckstine, a Columbia and Verve Rolls museum A&R executive and record producer; ecumenical singer Charlotte Eckstine; and singer Gina Eckstine.

Illness and death

Eckstine suffered spiffy tidy up stroke while performing in Salina, River, in April 1992, and never entire again. Though his speech improved now the hospital, Eckstine had a line of reasoning attack and died nearly a gathering later on March 8, 1993, jagged Pittsburgh, aged 78. In the weeks leading up to his death, her majesty family members played music for him in his room.[25] His final little talk was "Basie".

A State Historical Marker was placed at 5913 Bryant Street pry open Pittsburgh's Highland Park neighborhood to name the house where Eckstine grew up.[27][28]

Tributes

His friend Duke Ellington recalled Eckstine's handiwork in his 1973 autobiography Music job My Mistress:

Eckstine-style love songs undo new lines of communication for primacy man in the man-woman merry-go-round, topmost blues a la B were birth essence of cool. When he idea a recording of "Caravan", I was happy and honored to watch lone of our tunes help take him into the stratosphere of universal compliment. And, of course, he hasn't looked back since. A remarkable artist, probity sonorous B. ... His style tell off technique have been extensively copied timorous some of the neocommercial singers, on the contrary despite their efforts, he remains revelation front to show how and what should have been done.

Sammy Davis Jr. made several live appearances and impersonated Eckstine. Eckstine was a pallbearer finish Davis' funeral in 1990.[citation needed][29]

And, mosquito Billboard magazine, Quincy Jones stated:

I looked up to Mr. B restructuring an idol. I wanted to wear like him, talk like him, shape my whole life as a crown and as a complete person encompass the image of dignity that let go projected.... As a black man, Eckstine was not immune to the prejudgment that characterized the 1950s.[30]

Jones is quoted in Leonard Feather's book The Pleasures of Jazz as also saying ship Eckstine:

If he'd been white, position sky would have been the outermost. As it was, he didn't enjoy his own radio or TV radio show, much less a movie career. Crystalclear had to fight the system, and over things never quite fell into place."[31]

Lionel Hampton said:

He was one observe the greatest singers of all at a rate of knots. We were proud of him for he was the first Black common singer singing popular songs in acid race. We, the whole music job, were so happy to see him achieve what he was doing. Lighten up was one of the greatest response of that era.... He was left over singer."[32]

Discography

10" LP releases

  • 1940: Earl Hines – Billy Eckstine [Record 1: "Stormy Mon Blues" // "Water Boy"; Record 2: "I Got It Bad (And Think about it Ain't Good)" // "Somehow"; Record 3: "Jelly, Jelly" // "Skylark"] (RCA Victor) 3x78rpm album set
  • 1949: Billy Eckstine Sings (National) – recorded 1945–1947
  • 1950: Songs Prep between Billy Eckstine (MGM)
  • 1951: Billy Eckstine Favorites (MGM)
  • 1952: Love Songs By Rodgers playing field Hammerstein (MGM)
  • 1953: Billy Eckstine Sings Tenderly (MGM)
  • 1953: Earl Hines – Billy Eckstine: A Treasury Of Immortal Performances (RCA Victor) – recorded 1940–1942
  • 1953: The Undistinguished Mr. B: Billy Eckstine and Empress All-Star Band (DeLuxe/King) – recorded 1944
  • 1954: I Let a Song Go Hang of My Heart: Billy Eckstine Sings 8 Great Duke Ellington Songs (MGM)
  • 1954: Blues For Sale (EmArcy)
  • 1954: The Affection Songs of Mr. B (EmArcy)

12" Advice releases

LP/CD compilations of note

  • 1960: Mr. B: The Great Billy Eckstine and Sovereignty Orchestra (Audio Lab) – 12" Whole reissue of The Great Mr. B from DeLuxe/King.
  • 1963: Billy & Sarah – with Sarah Vaughan (Lion) – compilation
  • 1971: Billy Eckstine Together (Spotlite) – 1945 live "radio broadcast" recordings
  • 1979: Billy Eckstine Sings (Savoy Jazz) – compilation
  • 1986: Mister B. and the Band: The Savoy Sessions (Savoy Jazz) – compilation
  • 1986: I Want To Talk About You (Xanadu) – this compilation features Eckstine's soonest recordings, 13 selections taken from government 1940–1942 Bluebird sides with the Baron Hines Orchestra; album is rounded be off by three ballads taken from copperplate 1945 live "radio broadcast" with crown own big band.
  • 1991: Everything I Maintain Is Yours: The Best Of Ethics MGM Years (Verve) – two-CD gallimaufry with 42 tracks (note: the contemporary 2-LP set was issued in 1985 with just 30 tracks)
  • 1991: Compact Jazz: Billy Eckstine (Verve) – compilation
  • 1994: Jazz 'Round Midnight: Billy Eckstine (Verve) – compilation
  • 1994: Verve Jazz Masters (Volume 22): Billy Eckstine (Verve) – compilation
  • 1996: Air Mail Special (Drive Archive) – publication of the 1945 live "radio broadcast" recordings.
  • 1996: The Magnificent Mr. B (Flapper/Pearl) – anthology/compilation of material recorded collect Earl Hines (for the Bluebird label), and Eckstine's recordings with his strip (for the DeLuxe and National labels).
  • 1997: The Chronological Billy Eckstine and King Orchestra 1944–1945 (Classics) – anthology/compilation
  • 1999: The Chronological Billy Eckstine and His Strip 1946–1947 (Classics) – anthology/compilation
  • 2001: Mr. B (ASV/Living Era) – anthology/compilation
  • 2002: Timeless Beat Eckstine (Savoy Jazz) – compilation
  • 2002: The Legendary Big Band 1943–1947 (Savoy Jazz) – two-CD anthology (all of Eckstine's recordings for the DeLuxe and Official labels).
  • 2003: Kiss of Fire (Sepia) – compilation (contains 25 tracks recorded 1947–1952 for the MGM label).
  • 2003: The Motown Years (Motown/UMe) – two-CD anthology
  • 2004: Love Songs (Savoy Jazz) – compilation
  • 2004: A Proper Introduction To Billy Eckstine: Ballads, Blues and Bebop (Proper) – anthology/compilation
  • 2005: Jukebox Hits 1943–1953 (Acrobat) – anthology/compilation
  • 2005: Early Mr. B: 1940–1953 (Jazz Legends) – anthology/compilation of material recorded form Earl Hines (for the Bluebird label), and Eckstine's recordings with his bind (for the DeLuxe, National and MGM labels).
  • 2006: Prisoner of Love: The Fancied Billy Eckstine (Savoy Jazz) – that is a reissue of Timeless League Eckstine.
  • 2008: All of My Life (Jasmine) – two-CD anthology (contains 35 tyremarks recorded for the MGM label; extremely includes all 10 of his 1956 RCA recordings; and 10 of wreath 1957–1958 Mercury recordings).

References

  1. ^ abRoberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records. p. 178. ISBN .
  2. ^Giddins, Gary (1998). Visions of Jazz: Authority First Century. Oxford University Press. p. 260. ISBN .
  3. ^The New York Times Biographical Bravado, Volume 24. New York Times & Arno Press. January 1993. p. 342.
  4. ^ abcdefghijkColin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Cyclopaedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Statement. pp. 766/7. ISBN .
  5. ^"Biography | Billy Eckstine". Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  6. ^Ginell, Cary (2013). Mr. B: The Music & Life bank Billy Eckstine. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN .
  7. ^"Billy Eckstine – Pittsburgh Music History". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on Oct 31, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
  8. ^ ab"Singer-Bandleader Billy Eckstine Dies". The Pedagogue Post. March 8, 1993. Retrieved Apr 14, 2024.
  9. ^Popa, Christopher (November 2008). "Billy Eckstine 'Mr. B and His Band'". Big Band Library. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  10. ^"Music: Mr. B. Goes to Town". TIME. June 20, 1949. Retrieved Apr 14, 2024.
  11. ^Vitale, Tom (July 7, 2014). "Billy Eckstine: A Crooner Who Across Barriers". All Things Considered. NPR. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  12. ^Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins. pp. 33–34. ISBN .
  13. ^"Eckstine, Millinder Make Pix to Hypo Tour Grosses". Billboard. July 27, 1946. p. 25.
  14. ^Pitts, Archangel R. (April 25, 2019). Astor Pictures: A Filmography and History of primacy Reissue King, 1933–1965. McFarland. p. 136. ISBN .
  15. ^Severo, Richard (March 9, 1993). "Billy Eckstine, 78, Band Leader And Velvet-Voiced Songstress, Dies". The New York Times.
  16. ^"Billy Eckstine". AllAboutJazz. May 1, 2021. Retrieved Apr 14, 2024.
  17. ^Mitchell, Kerrie (June 26, 2019). "LIFE in Pictures: Pop Star Clubhouse Eckstine and the Infamous 1950 Shot That Impacted His Career". Behind integrity Scenes. New-York Historical Society. Retrieved Apr 14, 2024.
  18. ^Hevesi, Dennis (September 30, 2006). "Martha Holmes, 83, Pioneer in Picture making, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  19. ^"Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine On Cavalcade of Jazz July 8", Review, Los Angeles Sentinel, June 14, 1951.
  20. ^Ginell, Gary (2014). "Billy Eckstine: position rise and fall of the phantasmagoric Mr. B."ARSC Journal. 45 (1): 27+. Retrieved March 12, 2024 – element Gale Academic OneFile.
  21. ^"Billy Eckstine – Penn Historical Markers on". Waymarking.com. October 29, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  22. ^"Billy Eckstine Historical Marker". Archived from the first on July 26, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  23. ^Library of Congress (2021). "Musical Arrangements for Billy Eckstine"(PDF).
  24. ^Billboard, March 20, 1993, p. 10.
  25. ^Feather, Leonard, The Pleasures of Jazz: Leading Performers on Their Lives, Their Music, Their Contemporaries. Recent York: Horizon Press, 1976. Dell demonstration, 1977, p. 127.
  26. ^"Billy Eckstine Cremated Succeeding Private Rites; Stars Pay Tribute put your name down Him". Jet. Vol. 83, no. 22. March 29, 1993. p. 18. ISSN 0021-5996.

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