- Eckstine, Billy
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orig. William Clarence Ecksteinborn July 8, 1914, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.died March 8, 1993, PittsburghU.S. singer and bandleader.Eckstine sang with Earl Hines's big band (1939–43), then formed his own band in 1944. Sympathetic with the new sounds of bebop, Eckstine engaged many of its innovators, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan. Disbanding the group in 1947, he achieved greater popular success as a solo performer, specializing in ballads that featured his deep, resonant baritone. He was one of the greatest interpreters of popular song and blues in jazz.
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▪ American singer and bandleaderoriginal name William Clarence Ecksteinborn July 8, 1914, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.died March 8, 1993, PittsburghAmerican singer and bandleader who achieved great personal success while fostering the careers of a number of younger jazz musicians.Eckstine left Howard University after winning an amateur contest in 1933 and began singing in nightclubs and with xance bands. From 1939 to 1943 he sang with Earl Hines (Hines, Earl)'s band, and at his urging Hines hired such newcomers as Sarah Vaughan (Vaughan, Sarah), Dizzy Gillespie (Gillespie, Dizzy), and Charlie Parker (Parker, Charlie). In 1944 Eckstine formed his own band, which in its three-year existence gave strong impetus to the new bebop style by featuring the talents of Gillespie, Parker, Miles Davis (Davis, Miles), Fats Navarro (Navarro, Fats), Gene Ammons (Ammons, Gene), Dexter Gordon (Gordon, Dexter), Tadd Dameron (Dameron, Tadd), Art Blakey (Blakey, Art), and others. From 1947 on Eckstine was a successful popular singer; among his recordings were “Caravan,” “Prisoner of Love,” “You Go to My Head,” and “That Old Black Magic.”* * *
Universalium. 2010.
