Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couples home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basies agent. April 27, 1984 7 AM PT. [27] According to Basie, "we hit it with the rhythm section and went into the riffs, and the riffs just stuck. Died: April 26, 1984 "He was the only leader in the business who ever went out of his way to help me," Mr. Basie said later. Even more important was the fact that the Famous Door had national and local radio wires. 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 (Lockjaw) Davis, Frank Wess, Jimmy Forrest and the blues singer Joe Williams. During this period he also recorded with music greats, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson. He was 79 years old and lived in Freeport, the Bahamas. Finally, Willard Alexander, a booking agent, in an effort to get the band on 52d Street, then the jazz center of New York, made a deal with the Famous Door, a shoebox of a room, 25 feet wide and about Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couples home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basies agent. Basie earned nine Grammy Awardsand made history in 1958 by becoming the first African-American to receive the award. Press ESC to cancel. With Billy Eckstine on the album Basie/Eckstine Incorporated, in 1959. [31] Hammond first heard Basie's band on the radio and went to Kansas City to check them out. Many musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, plunger trombonist Al Grey, and singers Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Thelma Carpenter, and Joe Williams. [54] They also continued to record for OKeh Records and Columbia Records. "April in Paris" (arrangement by Wild Bill Davis) was a best-selling instrumental and the title song for the hit album. [32] He invited them to record, in performances which were Lester Young's earliest recordings. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. We set the thing up front in D-flat, and then we just went on playing in F." It became his signature tune. What Is The Origin Of Springerle Cookies? Within a year Basie was often recognized for his understated yet captivating style of piano playing and his precise, impeccable musical leadership. Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basie's agent. went to Kansas City to hear it and support it and brought it to the attention of booking agents. ***** All concert dates after Count Basie's death are for The Count Basie Orchestra ***** Discography. with Rutgers web sites to accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Basie then formed his own nine-piece band, Barons of Rhythm, with many former Moten members including Walter Page (bass), Freddie Green (guitar), Jo Jones (drums), Lester Young (tenor saxophone) and Jimmy Rushing (vocals). 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. In 1959, Basie's band recorded a "greatest hits" double album The Count Basie Story (Frank Foster, arranger), and Basie/Eckstine Incorporated, an album featuring Billy Eckstine, Quincy Jones (as arranger) and the Count Basie Orchestra. Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. Jazz was especially appreciated in France, The Netherlands, and Germany in the 1950s; these countries were the stomping grounds for many expatriate American jazz stars who were either resurrecting their careers or sitting out the years of racial divide in the United States. After Motens death in 1935, Basie started his band, the Count Basie Orchestra. Diane died peacefully on October 15 after suffering a heart attack a few days before. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. Their fame took a huge leap. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. He married Catherine Morgan on July 13, 1940, in the King County courthouse in Seattle, Washington. He is credited for creating the use of the two split tenor saxophone, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and beautifully layering masterful vocalists. Around 1920, Basie went to Harlem, a hotbed of jazz, where he lived down the block from the Alhambra Theater. This page was last edited on 3 February 2023, at 01:33. What happened to Count Basie daughter? - Sage-Advices As a result, the band got a date at the Grand Terrace in Chicago. Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basie's agent.She was 67 years old. He was the leader of the group for almost 50 years and many musicians like saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, and trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison, came to prominence under his direction. 5 How old was Catherine Basie when she died? They also toured with the "Birdland Stars of 1955", whose lineup included Sarah Vaughan, Erroll Garner, Lester Young, George Shearing, and Stan Getz.[66]. They were referred to as "and those tiny tinkling things. For a year he played piano accompaniment to silent moves and then joined Walter Page's Blue Devils in Tulsa, Best Answer Copy William "Count" Basie and his wife Catherine had a daughter, Diane, who lived in Freeport, Bahamas at the time of Basie's death in 1984. Count Basie, the jazz pianist whose spare, economic keyboard style and supple rhythmic drive made his orchestra one of the most influential groups of the Big Band era, died of cancer yesterday. Another Basie innovation was the use of two tenor saxophone players; at the time, most bands had just one. [72] The Basies bought a home in the new whites-only neighborhood of Addisleigh Park in 1946 on Adelaide Road and 175th Street, St. Albans, Queens. Count and Mrs. Basie were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. [17], In 1928, Basie was in Tulsa and heard Walter Page and his Famous Blue Devils, one of the first big bands, which featured Jimmy Rushing on vocals. Billie Holiday - Wikipedia Where did Count Basie do most of his touring? In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that orchestra and form his own, The Count Basie Orchestra, which is still alive and well today some 78 years later. Encyclopedia of Jazz. [61] Basie also added flute to some numbers, a novelty at the time that became widely copied. The Count Basie Orchestra recorded and played live with many iconic artists like Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tonny Benneth and Sarah Vaughan. [40] His first official recordings for Decca followed, under contract to agent MCA, including "Pennies from Heaven" and "Honeysuckle Rose". Their albums together included In Person and Strike Up the Band. In May 2019, Basie was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Memphis, TN, presented by The Blues Foundation. How did the bands of Count Basie and Duke Ellington differ? Late one night with time to fill, the band started improvising. Well, the Roseland is still standing". He was one of the greatest bandleaders of all-time, epitomizing the jazz of south-western America. "One night the announcer called me to the microphone for those usual few words of introduction," Mr. Basie once recalled. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Behind the occasional bebop solos, he always kept his strict rhythmic pulse, "so it doesn't matter what they do up front; the audience gets the beat". Shortly after he got there, he got a gig replacing Fats Waller with a touring vaudeville act. She was 67 years old. Even in Harlem, it puzzled the aware audiences at the Savoy Ballroom. Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 - July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. For the next two years he led small bands between six and nine pieces. She was 67 years old. Frank Sinatra recorded for the first time with Basie on 1962's Sinatra-Basie and for a second studio album on 1964's It Might as Well Be Swing, which was arranged by Quincy Jones. During the 1940's, many of the great jazz musicians of the decade passed through the band, among them Illinois Jacquet, Don Byas, Wardell Gray, Paul Quinichette, Lucky Thompson, J. J. Johnson, Paul The swing era band William James "Count" Basie learned how to play the piano at an early age under his mothers instructions. His second great band, from the 1950s onwards, relied more on arrangements, typically from Neil Hefti and Ernie Wilkin's. As a pianist Basie. E-Commerce Site for Mobius GPO Members count basie daughter died. One of them, Aaron Woodward, a Long Island Baptist pastor and accountant, was considered an informally adopted son by Basie, according to a report by Jet magazine. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. They took up a regular engagement at Kansas City's Reno Club, and broadcast a nightly radio show. She even toured with the Basie Orchestra in the mid-1970s, and Fitzgerald and Basie also met on the 1979 albums A Classy Pair, Digital III at Montreux, and A Perfect Match, the last two also recorded live at Montreux. To help it through the Grand Terrace engagement, Fletcher Henderson, who had provided Benny Goodman with However, the man ended up betraying Basies trust, and he stole from Diane. When he came back to Harlem, Fats Waller showed him how to play the organ, and Willie the Lion Smith took him under his wing. Today, Charlie Yardbird Parker is considered one of the great musical innovators of the 20th century. Remember Count Basie? After he died, his friend apparently - AmoMama The loss of key personnel (some to military service), the wartime ban on "heads"arrangements worked out without planning in His wife, Catherine, had died in 1983. [79] In his autobiography, he wrote, "I think the band can really swing when it swings easy, when it can just play along like you are cutting butter."[80]. "He commented that Bill Basie was a rather ordinary name and that On July 21, 1930, Basie married Vivian Lee Winn, in Kansas City, Missouri. He finished junior high school[7] but spent much of his time at the Palace Theater in Red Bank, where doing occasional chores gained him free admission to performances. Early after his arrival, he bumped into Sonny Greer, who was by then the drummer for the Washingtonians, Duke Ellington's early band. Sometimes a member of the band would come up with an original, written [67] The Basie band made two tours in the British Isles and on the second, they put on a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II, along with Judy Garland, Vera Lynn, and Mario Lanza. Basie hitched his star to some of the most famous vocalists of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped keep the Big Band sound alive and added greatly to his recording catalog. The While he was in his late teens, he gravitated to Harlem, where he encountered Fats Waller. [46], The publicity over the big band battle, before and after, gave the Basie band a boost and wider recognition. It does not store any personal data. But the obvious talents of another young Red Bank drummer, Sonny Greer, They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. Fletcher Henderson's band was playing at the Grand Terrace just before the Basie band arrived there. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved Birthday: August 21, 1904. Released: 1967 . Who taught Count Basie how do you play the piano? In Memory Of Diane Lillian Basie - thecountbasieorchestra.com 4 What pianist and his orchestra were really popular in the big band era? According to court papers, Diane is severely retarded and only marginally communicative, so Basie left two co-trustees he considered his close friends in charge of his estate and his daughter. Count and Mrs. Basie were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. Then he said, 'Bill, I think I'll call you Count Basie from now on. She paid 25 cents a lesson for Count Basie's piano instruction. It was a loose and swinging band, built around distinctively individualistic solos by Lester On Moten's death in 1935, Basie and several other core band members formed their own ensemble, the Barons of Rhythm. at Doctors' Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. [4] Both of his parents had some type of musical background. In fact, the only reason I enlarged the brass was to get a richer harmonic Count was 79 years old at the time of death. It was at this time that he began to be known as "Count" Basie (see Jazz royalty).[19]. Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. Mr. Basie was born in Red Bank, N.J., on Aug. 21, 1904, an only child who was christened William. One day he asked me whether I played the organ. The agent, Willard Alexander, said Mrs. bands in history. In 1976, Mr. Basie suffered a heart attack. [37] Soon, they were booked at the Roseland Ballroom for the Christmas show. ", Basie at the piano, 1955, in a photographic portrait by, Los Angeles and the Cavalcade of Jazz concerts. When his own band folded, he rejoined Moten with a newly re-organized band. [77][78], Count Basie introduced several generations of listeners to the Big Band sound and left an influential catalog. How Did Count Basie Die? - FAQS Clear [16] He met Fats Waller, who was playing organ at the Lincoln Theater accompanying silent movies, and Waller taught him how to play that instrument. [76] In 1968, Basie and his Band recorded an album with Jackie Wilson titled Manufacturers of Soul. experienced so many changes in musical fashion, especially after the [28], At the end of 1936, Basie and his band, now billed as Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm, moved from Kansas City to Chicago, where they honed their repertoire at a long engagement at the Grand Terrace Ballroom. During his last years he had difficulty walking and The "book" of this early Basie band was based on blues and riffs developed on a blues structure. On September 11, 1996, the U.S. Post Office issued a Count Basie 32 cents postage stamp. Wayne Shorter obituary | Jazz | The Guardian After a decade long courtship, Basie married dancer Catherine Morgan, his second wife, on his birthday in 1942. 2022-06-30; wreck on 1942 crosby, tx today . Soon after, Benny Goodman recorded their signature "One O'Clock Jump" with his band. Basie occasionally lost some key soloists. He played piano with them, with one interruption, for the They had one daughter, Diane, in 1944. Soloists were less prominent in this second edition of the Basie band although it included some of the major jazz musicians of the post-50's years, such as Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Al Grey, Eddie He constantly parried Chick's thundering haymakers with tantalizing runs and arpeggios which teased more and more force from his adversary. Gonsalves and Clark Terry. [49] Adding to their play book, Basie received arrangements from Jimmy Mundy (who had also worked with Benny Goodman and Earl Hines), particularly for "Cherokee", "Easy Does It", and "Super Chief". "I wanted 13 men to think and play the same way. on the stand. [41], Hammond introduced Basie to Billie Holiday, whom he invited to sing with the band. We've received your submission. What disability did Count Basies daughter have? [63] DownBeat magazine reported: "(Basie) has managed to assemble an ensemble that can thrill both the listener who remembers 1938 and the youngster who has never before heard a big band like this. It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Diane Lillian Basie (1944-2022), the beloved only child of the legendary jazz musician, William James "Count" Basie and his wife, Catherine Morgan Basie. In addition to Quincy Jones, Basie was using arrangers such as Benny Carter (Kansas City Suite), Neal Hefti (The Atomic Mr Basie), and Sammy Nestico (Basie-Straight Ahead). Within less than six months, however, Mr. Basie was back at the keyboard. Received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 1974. Is that all right with you?' Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie. Posted by June 11, 2022 cabarrus county sheriff arrests on count basie daughter died June 11, 2022 cabarrus county sheriff arrests on count basie daughter died 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 next five years. After automobiles replaced horses, his father became a groundskeeper and handyman for several wealthy families in the area. stylea solid rhythm backing the horn soloists, who were also She was 67 years old. After working briefly as house organist in a Basie's band regularly worked some of the better During his last years, he had difficulty walking and rode out on the stage He soon started booking the band and shopping them to agents and record companies forging their big break. When the band left for Chicago it had only 12 written arrangements in its book. in the death of the big-band era. In 1935, Bennie Moten died and it was left to Basie to take some of the musicians from that . Catherine Basie, wife of Count Basie, the jazz musician and band leader, died of a heart attack yesterday at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, according to Mr. Basie's agent. It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Diane Lillian Basie (1944-2022), the beloved only child of the legendary jazz musician, William James Count Basie and his wife, Catherine Morgan Basie. His mother, a piano player who gave Basie his first piano lessons, took in laundry and baked cakes for sale and paid 25 cents a lesson for piano instruction for him. And it was a seven-day week. [48] When Eddie Durham left for Glenn Miller's orchestra, he was replaced by Dicky Wells. But Moten was an expert piano player himself, and Basie fashioned a job for himself as the bands staff arranger. Page, a bassist--Jimmy Rushing, the blues signer, both of whom would be key members of Mr. Basie's band. a shrewd judge of talent and character, and he was extremely patient in The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Basie. Their only child, Diane, was born February 6, 1944. The couple were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. in a 14th Street dance hall. fast-paced tunes designed to excite the audience. Who Can Benefit From Diaphragmatic Breathing? The new band included: Paul Campbell, Tommy Turrentine, Johnny Letman, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Newman (trumpet); Jimmy Wilkins, Benny Powell, Matthew Gee (trombone); Paul Quinichette and Floyd "Candy" Johnson (tenor sax); Marshal Royal and Ernie Wilkins (alto sax); and Charlie Fowlkes (baritone sax). The World of Count Basie. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Mr. Basie, a short, stocky, taciturn but witty man who liked to wear a yachting cap offstage, presided over the band at the piano with apparent utmost casualness. His mother paid 25 cents per piano lesson for him . ABC World News Tonight feature on death of Count Basie on April 26, 1984 3,211 views Aug 26, 2016 26 Dislike Share Save pianopappy 7.27K subscribers Peter Jennings (who was a jazz an). See the Count Basie Orchestra Discography. He also recorded with Sammy Davis Jr., Bing Crosby, and Sarah Vaughan. It positioned him with Earl Hines, as well as Duke Ellington. How do I choose between my boyfriend and my best friend? See, Basie couldnt read music, so it was Eddie Durham who orchestrated his ideas for the Moten band and then later for the Basie band in New York for those Decca recordings. Despite the presence of Lester Young and Herschel Evans in the saxophone section, Buck Clayton in the trumpet section, Jo Jones on drums, with Jimmy Rushing and, briefly, Billie Holiday as vocalists, the band developed its own variation of the Kansas City swing Joy S. Rosenthal, Trustee, William J. Basie Trust and Guardian for Diane L. Basie, At Institute of Jazz Studies, an Intimate Look at Count Basie, Grammy Nominated for Live At Birdland . Died: April 26, 1984 Hollywood, Florida African American bandleader and musician Count Basie was an extremely popular figure in the jazz world for half a century. When Young complained of Herschel Evans' vibrato, Basie placed them on either side of the alto players, and soon had the tenor players engaged in "duels". 'No,' I said, 'but I'd kristie bennett survivor; sporting goods flemington, nj; biscay green color; count basie daughter died. Count Basie is considered one of the greatest bandleaders of all times. In 2021s Elvis, a Count Basie poster is seen about 20 minutes into the movie. A stocky, handsome man with heavy-lidded eyes and a sly smile, Basie was When the Page band broke up in 1929, Mr. But in 2012, Manhattan Surrogates Court Justice Kristin Booth Glen removed Woodward from his guardian role after he failed to account for money that belonged to Diane. (traveling variety entertainment). But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Advertisement When Basie died of pancreatic cancer in 1984 at the age of 79, he left his $1.5 million fortune in a trust to provide for Diane. Then I sat beside him and he taught me.". [73], On April 11, 1983, Catherine Basie died of heart disease at the couple's home in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. Your email address will not be published. there were a couple of well-known bandleaders named Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. Ellington's (18991974), the most famous African American Through steady changes in personnel, Basie led the band into the 1980s. In 1950, when big bands were falling apart, Mr. Basie cut down to an eight-piece group but by 1952 he was leading a big band once again. Basie changed the jazz landscape and shaped mid-20th century popular music, duly earning the title King of Swing because he made the world want to dance. Basie, Count. In 2009, Basie was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[88]. From the time Count Basie's "Old Testament Band" surged out of Kansas City in 1936 and brought his irrepressible mixture of blues and riff-based head arrangements to New York until his death in 1984, Basie and the bands he led were a touchstone of jazz history. Throughout his tours, Basie met many jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. count basie daughter died [85], By 2011, four recordings of Count Basie had been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance.". Basie reorganized the Orchestra in 1952 and this new band was in high demand and toured extensively around the world. Count and Mrs. Basie were true socialites - often gathering with friends including celebrities Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Basie protg Quincy Jones. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Diane Lillian Basie (1944-2022), the beloved only child of the legendary jazz musician, William James "Count" Basie and his wife, Catherine Morgan Basie.
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