Before the black pop male sex symbol was a seemingly permanent fixture of American culture, long before Teddy Pendergrass, Prince, and R. Kelly, there was Billy Eckstine.In the early years of Eckstine ' s career it was still a novelty for black and . Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. He had also planned on a football career, though after breaking his collar bone, he made music his focus. Buy and download albums by Billy Eckstine in true Hi-Res Popular, influential jazz vocalist with a deep, smooth sound well suited to romantic material; he also led a celebrated bop-influenced band. [13] Holmes would later describe the photograph as the favorite of the many she had taken in her career as it "told just what the world should be like". Singer, Actor. Billy Eckstine's career was innovative in at least two respects: Originally a key figure in the bop movement, he spent most of his career blurring the lines between jazz and pop. Billy Eckstine Click to expand the Mr. B collar was a button down collar. Search above to list available cemeteries. Listen to music by Billy Eckstine on Apple Music. I wanted to dress like him, talk like him, pattern my whole life as a musician and as a complete person in the image of dignity that he projected. As a black man, Eckstine was not immune to the prejudice that characterized the 1950s.[22]. . However, it is possible to get some idea of how good the band sounded from 'Opus X' and 'Blowin' the Blues Away'. His friend Duke Ellington recalled Eckstines artistry in his 1973 autobiography Music is My Mistress: Eckstine-style love songs opened new lines of communication for the man in the man-woman merry-go-round, and blues a la B were the essence of cool. . 10. In 1944, Eckstine formed his own big band and made it a fountainhead for young musicians who would reshape jazz by the end of the decade, including Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Charlie Parker, and Fats Navarro. And despite the racial attitudes of the '40s and '50s, he was one of the first black artists with mainstream leading-man appeal. His friend Duke Ellington recalled Eckstine's artistry in his 1973 autobiography Music is My Mistress: Eckstine-style love songs opened new lines of communication for the man in the man-woman merry-go-round, and blues a la B were the essence of cool. He died in Pittsburgh in March 1993. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. The father of five boys and two girls, Mr. Eckstine sometimes performed with his daughter, Gina, the youngest of his seven children. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. [15] The controversy that resulted from the photograph had a seminal effect on the trajectory of Eckstine's career. Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy. In 2020 alone, purchases on Etsy generated nearly $4 billion in income for small businesses. This account has been disabled. However, race kept him from having the same kind of successful film . We have set your language to He performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to Game 4 of the 1979 World Series at Three Rivers Stadium in his native Pittsburgh. Please try again later. After an ill-advised stint at RCA in the mid-1950s, where Eckstine, like many other vocalists of the big-band era, was forced to deal with the advent of rock n roll, resulting in a truly unfortunate single titled "Condemned For Life With a Rock n Roll Wife," the singer returned to more jazz-friendly settings with his 1958 album Imagination, and the recordings he made for the Roulette label, which can be heard extensively on the Afterglow program Billy Eckstine: The Roulette Years. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. based on information from your browser. The Billy Eckstine Orchestra was the first bop big-band group, and its leader reflected bop innovations by stretching his vocal harmonics into his normal ballads. Temptation (Remastered) Billy Eckstine 2020 From $8.99. After working his way west to Chicago during the . We have estimated Billy Eckstine's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. Eckstine returned to his jazz roots occasionally as well, recording with Vaughan, Count Basie, and Quincy Jones for separate LPs, and the 1960 live LP No Cover, No Minimum featured him taking a few trumpet solos as well. Eckstine made numerous appearances on television variety shows, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Nat King Cole Show, The Tonight Show with Steve Allen, Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson, The Merv Griffin Show, The Art Linkletter Show, The Joey Bishop Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Flip Wilson Show, and Playboy After Dark. Eckstine left Howard University after winning an amateur contest in 1933 and began singing in nightclubs and with dance . On the groups frequent European and American tours, Eckstine, popularly known as Mr. B, also played trumpet, valve trombone and guitar. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Tracks list Tracklist: CD1 1950 (00:59:43) 01. He was one of the greatest singers of that era He was our singer.. When he made a recording of Caravan, I was happy and honored to watch one of our tunes help take him into the stratosphere of universal acclaim. Topics related to this:Highland Park music and musicians Pittsburgh Pirates. Eckstine left the Hines orchestra in 1943 and formed his own big band, one that would become critically renowned as an incubator for the new jazz that was evolving in the mid-1940s called bebop. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Born in Pittsburgh on July 8, 1914, William Clarence Eckstein grew up in Washington, D.C. Eckstein attended Armstrong High School, St. Paul Normal and Industrial School, and Howard University. The bad piano is the bane of every musician's life.The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Premium. 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[citation needed], Eckstine was the subject of a three-page profile in the April 25, 1950 issue of Life magazine, in which the photographer Martha Holmes accompanied Eckstine and his entourage during a week in New York City. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. : William Clarence Eckstein. The 1960 Las Vegas live album, No Cover, No Minimum, featured Eckstine taking a few trumpet solos as well. Set Fashion Trends. (30% off), Ad vertisement from shop AutographSuperstore, Sale Price $12.75 Tall, handsome and blessed with a velvety baritone voice that seduced jazz lovers everywhere, Billy Eckstine left his mark on music as a band leader, mentor, entertainer and singer. Click Buy it now or Add to cart and proceed to checkout. He was one of the very first African American matinee idols, singing first with Earl "Fatha" Hines orchestra, then veering off with his own band. He recorded albums for Mercury and Roulette in the early 1960s and appeared on Motown albums during the mid to late years of the decade. In 1984, Eckstine recorded his final album, I Am A Singer, featuring beautiful ballads arranged and conducted by . Try again later. 12. Eckstine's recording of "I Apologize" (MGM, 1948) was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. William F. was born in Prussia and Nannie in Virginia. In 1939, he sought his musical fortune in Chicago. [16], In 1951, Eckstine performed at the seventh Cavalcade of Jazz concert held on July 8 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles, produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. Also featured were Lionel Hampton and his Revue, Percy Mayfield, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Liggins and The Honeydrippers and Roy Brown. An influence looming large in the cultural develo. Dizzy Gillespie, in reflecting on the band in his 1979 autobiography To Be or Not to Bop places it in perspective: There was no band that sounded like Billy Eckstines. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Eckstine became a solo performer in 1947, with records featuring lush, sophisticated orchestrations. Last edited on 25 December 2022, at 15:20, Billy Eckstine & Sarah Vaughan Sing Irving Berlin, The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, "Billy Eckstine - Pittsburgh Music History", "Eckstine, Millinder Make Pix to Hypo Tour Grosses", "Martha Holmes, 83, Pioneer in Photography, Dies", "Billy Eckstine - Pennsylvania Historical Markers on", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Eckstine&oldid=1129473052, This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 15:20. Billy Eckstine. William Clarence Eckstein (Billy Eckstine), singer and bandleader, born Pittsburgh 8 July 1914, married twice (five sons, two daughters), died Pittsburgh 8 March 1993. However, unlike Nat King Cole (who followed him into the pop charts), Eckstines singing, especially his exaggerated vibrato, sounded increasingly mannered and he was unable to sustain his recording success throughout the decade. No other band like this one existed in the world." 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. Eckstine posthumously received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2019. He cut a swath through America before Nat King Cole came to the scene. As it was, he didnt have his own radio or TV show, much less a movie career. His voice has been characterized by music writer Will Friedwald as. He also performed as an actor in the TV sitcom Sanford and Son, and in such films as Skirts Ahoy, Let's Do It Again, and Jo Jo Dancer. Old Pittsburgh photos and stories | The Digs, January 1978: A winter's worth of weather in a single month, The tale of a 10-year-old boy who shot his father to protect his mother, 'Senseless accident that didn't have to happen' takes away lives of kids, kills Sen. Heinz. He had also planned on a football career, though after breaking his collar bone, he made music his focus. His style and technique have been extensively copied by some of the neocommercial singers, but despite their efforts, he remains out front to show how and what should have been done. He was tall and handsome, sported a pencil-thin mustache and sang in a distinctive baritone. Laura Billy Eckstine. Though several of Eckstine's first hits with Hines were novelties like "Jelly, Jelly" and "The Jitney Man," he also recorded several straight-ahead songs, including the hit "Stormy Monday." There was a problem getting your location. Salary in 2022. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Year should not be greater than current year. Eckstine, the son of a . He had also planned on a football career, though after breaking his collar bone, he made music his focus. Ellington described it.When Eckstine left the Hines Orchestra in 1943, he added his trumpet playing to his act as a night-club vocalist. 'He worked with us at the New York Paramount once, and it was a ball hearing him five shows a day. He had chart topping singles covering a span of 11 years. Billy Eckstine discography and songs: Music profile for Billy Eckstine, born 8 July 1914. Verify and try again. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. Eckstine was a style leader and noted sharp dresser. Here is how he could become a billionaire. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. From the 1940s, Billy Eckstines smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers, initially as the leader of the original bop big band, then as the first romantic black male in popular music. Eckstine was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; a State Historical Marker is placed at 5913 Bryant St, Highland Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to mark the house where he grew up. In . He was one of the very first African American matinee idols, singing first with Earl Fatha Hines orchestra, then veering off with his own band. Billy Eckstine (8 July 1914 - 8 March 1993), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA as William Clarence Eckstein. Etsy uses cookies and similar technologies to give you a better experience, enabling things like: Detailed information can be found in Etsys Cookies & Similar Technologies Policy and our Privacy Policy. He wanted to be a football player but, after breaking his collar bone, and later winning $10 in an amateur singing contest at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, he instead chose music. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Part of the problem stemmed from the poor sound quality of his label's wartime pressings, and the challenges that all big bands faced in the period immediately following the end of World War II. Dedicated To You Sarah Vaughan & Billy Eckstine. "[24], For the Canadian pianist and composer, see. Though his speech improved in the hospital, Eckstine had a heart attack and died a few months later on March 8, 1993, in Pittsburgh, aged 78. ---, "Eckstine, Billy," The Encyclopedia of Jazz in the 60s (New York City: Horizon Press, Inc., 1966), p.111. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Eckstine suffered a stroke while performing in Salina, Kansas, in April 1992, and never performed again. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. He appeared in several musicals for MGM in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Sources. Shop now. After recording very sparingly during the 70s, Eckstine made his last recording (Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter) in 1986. Eckstine also appeared in films, such as Skirts Ahoy (1952). There was a problem subscribing you to this newsletter. Nicknamed Mr. B, the dashing singer had a voice that was described as a "suave bass-baritone" and a stage presence that, for a time at least, rivaled Frank Sinatra's. By 1949, Eckstine was a genuine pop sensationthe New York Times reported that William Clarence Billy Eckstine (vocalist / bandleader) was born on July 8, 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia and passed away on March 8, 1993 in Pittsburg at the age of 78. After the demise of his legendary big-band in the late 1940s, Eckstine found great success as a solo singer on the MGM label. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). 'ALTHOUGH Billy Eckstine has always been recognised as one of the most tasteful of popular singers, he also made a most vital contribution to jazz with the big band which he led for three years from 1944. shirt collars, and inspired an army of female admirers, known as "Billy-soxers.". Though white bands of the era featured males singing straight-ahead romantic ballads, Black bands were forced to stick to novelty or blues vocal numbers until the advent of Eckstine and Herb Jeffries (from Duke Ellington's Orchestra). This is a carousel with slides. 7. The controversy that resulted from the photograph had a seminal effect on the trajectory of Eckstines career. The New York Times described him as an . From 1939 to 1943 Eckstine sang with Hiness band, and at his urging Hines hired such newcomers as Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker. 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