William James Basie was born on August 21, 1904, in New Jersey. Count Basie was an American jazz musician and one of the great bandleaders.
Basie started learning the piano with his mother. Later, he took organ lessons with Fats Waller, who later helped him find work in a theater accompanying silent films.
“But really the main guy that really influenced me was Thomas, Fats Waller. That was the man that I really did idolize. Fats taught me how to play what little bit of organ that I do know. And I used to watch him and lay around him long enough to try to style a little piano after him, which was quite difficult.” Basie said.
In 1927, Basie played with two of the most famous bands in Kansas City, Walter Page’s Blue Devils and the Bennie Moten band. Then, 8 years later, Basie started his own band, initially performing as Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm at the Reno Club.
The band performed daily radio broadcasts, which caught the attention of music producer John Hammond. In 1936, Hammond brought the Basie band to New York, where it opened at the Roseland Ballroom.
After moving to New York, the band recorded their first album with Decca Records under their new name, The Count Basie Orchestra.
In the ’40s, Basie and his Orchestra appeared in five films: Hit Parade, Reveille with Beverly, Stage Door Canteen, Top Man, and Crazy House. Basie also had a series of Top Ten hits on the pop and R&B charts, including I Didn’t Know About You, Red Bank Blues, Rusty Dusty Blues, Jimmy’s Blues, and Blue Skies.
In 1950, financial issues forced Basie to disband the orchestra. Two years later, Basie reorganized the orchestra, and this new band toured around the world.
Count Basie and his orchestra performed royal command performances worldwide. Then during the ‘60s, Basie made some of his best work like Corner Pocket and Everyday I Have the Blues. During this period, he also recorded with music greats, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie, and Oscar Peterson.
During his later years, Basie suffered from diabetes and chronic arthritis until a month before his death in 1984.
His band continued to perform, with Thad Jones, Frank Foster, and Grover Mitchell. Basie’s autobiography, Good Morning Blues, written with Albert Murray, was published in 1985.
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