Count Basie received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his lasting impact on jazz.
The Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey is named in his honor, celebrating his legacy in the music world.
Count Basie was an American jazz musician and composer who significantly influenced the big band era.
Biography
Early Life
William James "Count" Basie was born on August 21, 1904, in Red Bank, New Jersey. He grew up in a musical environment, which laid the foundation for his future career as a jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie's early exposure to music would eventually lead him to become one of the most influential figures in jazz history.
Career
In 1935, Basie formed the Count Basie Orchestra, which became a cornerstone of the big band era. His innovative approach to music included the use of two "split" tenor saxophones and a strong emphasis on the rhythm section. The orchestra gained fame after their first recording in 1936, and Basie led the group for nearly 50 years, creating a legacy of swing and big band music. His minimalist piano style and ability to collaborate with arrangers helped broaden the band's sound, making it a staple in jazz music.
Personal Life
Count Basie was married twice; his first marriage to Vivian Lee Winn ended in divorce before 1935. He married Catherine Morgan in 1940, and they had a daughter, Diane, who was born with cerebral palsy. The family lived in various locations, including a home in the Bahamas in the 1970s. Basie's wife, Catherine, passed away in 1983, and he followed her a year later, dying of pancreatic cancer on April 26, 1984, in Hollywood, Florida.
Legacy and Honors
Basie's contributions to music earned him numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and multiple Grammy Awards. He is remembered for his modesty and enthusiasm for music, and his influence continues to resonate in the jazz community. The Count Basie Theatre in New Jersey and various streets have been named in his honor, ensuring that his legacy endures for future generations.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
The Board of Directors1968
- 1.Lazy River3:33
- 2.I May Be Wrong but I Think You're Wonderful3:11
- 3.Release Me2:44
- 4.I Want to Be Happy2:01
- 5.Down-down-down2:38
- 6.The Whiffenpoof Song3:13
- 7.I Dig Rock and Roll Music3:07
- 8.Tiny Bubbles3:14
- 9.December2:46
- 10.Let Me Dream2:51
- 11.April in Paris4:11
Manufacturers of Soul1968
- 1.Funky Broadway2:41
- 2.For Your Precious Love2:42
- 3.In the Midnight Hour2:46
- 4.Ode to Billie Joe4:20
- 5.Chain Gang2:48
- 6.I Was Made to Love Her2:48
- 7.Uptight (Everything's Alright)2:46
- 8.I Never Loved a Woman2:43
- 9.Respect2:32
- 10.Even When You Cry2:40
- 11.My Girl2:45
Count Basie Captures Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire1967
- 1.Detroit
- 2.Strengthen the Dwelling
- 3.I'll Always Be Irish
- 4.Valentine Candy
- 5.Bye-yum-pum-pum
- 6.Watch Your Footwork
- 7.What's Wrong With That
- 8.Let's Have a Drink On It
- 9.Are We Dancing
- 10.Fortuosity
Inside Basie Outside1966
- 1.Swingin' at Newport8:05
- 2.One O'Clock Jump9:30
- 3.Basie's Back in Town3:22
- 4.Big Red3:56
- 5.Stompin' and Jumpin'2:55
- 6.Blues Inside Out6:45
Arthur Prysock / Count Basie1966
- 1.I Could Have Told You3:47
- 2.Ain’t No Use2:49
- 3.I Could Write a Book3:44
- 4.Gone Again3:12
- 5.Come Home3:44
- 6.I Worry ’Bout You2:20
- 7.What Will I Tell My Heart2:49
- 8.Don’t Go to Strangers2:50
- 9.I’m Lost3:24
- 10.I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter2:55
- 11.Come Rain or Come Shine2:24
Basie Swingin' Voices Singin'1966
- 1.Happiness Is2:50
- 2.I Surrender Dear2:34
- 3.Oh, Lady Be Good!2:42
- 4.You Are My Sunshine2:47
- 5.Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)3:05
- 6.Candy2:15
- 7.Down By The Old Mill Stream2:24
- 8.Fantastic, That's You3:14
- 9.One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)2:28
- 10.Girl Talk3:04
- 11.Call Me3:11
Basie Picks the Winners1965
- 1.Watermelon Man
- 2.That's All
- 3.I Won't Cry Anymore
- 4.Main Theme From "Exodus"
- 5.I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)
- 6.My Kind of Town
- 7.I'm Walkin'
- 8.Come Rain or Come Shine
- 9.Volare (Nel Blu, Dipinto di Blu)
- 10.Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
- 11.Oh, Lonesome Me
Sammy Davis & Count Basie: Our Shining Hour1965
- 1.My Shining Hour2:12
- 2.Teach Me Tonight3:05
- 3.Work Song2:15
- 4.Why Try to Change Me Now3:27
- 5.Blues for Mr. Charlie3:41
- 6.April in Paris2:50
- 7.New York City Blues2:50
- 8.You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You3:01
- 9.She's a Woman (W-O-M-A-N)2:21
- 10.The Girl From Ipanema4:07
- 11.Keepin' Out the Mischief Now2:53
- 12.Bill Basie Won't You Please Come Home2:39
Big Band Scene '651965
- 1.The Big Walk2:55
- 2.Molasses6:10
- 3.Loneliness3:38
- 4.Ubeknownst3:38
- 5.Toot Sweet3:05
- 6."X" Stream3:10
- 7.Sin Blues2:49
- 8.By Bye Blackbird2:58
- 9.Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child2:54
- 10.Saturday Nite2:47
- 11.Maria3:00
Count At The Organ1965
- 1.Basie Beat3:27
- 2.Extended Blue6:00
- 3.She's Funny That Way4:16
- 4.Song Of The Islands2:55
- 5.Count's Organ Blues3:14
- 6.Blues For The Count And Oscar3:11
- 7.Port Of Rico2:45
- 8.Lean Baby3:05
- 9.Paradise Squat4:06
- 10.The Cool Rage2:35
- 11.K.C. Organ Blues3:00
First Time! The Count Meets the Duke1961
- 1.Battle Royal5:36
- 2.To You3:57
- 3.Take the "A" Train3:49
- 4.Until I Met You4:57
- 5.Wild Man5:45
- 6.Segue in C8:25
- 7.B D B4:05
- 8.Jumpin' at the Woodside3:07
Count Basie / Sarah Vaughan1961
- 1.Perdido2:13
- 2.Lover Man3:58
- 3.I Cried for You2:56
- 4.Alone3:56
- 5.There Are Such Things3:12
- 6.The Gentleman Is a Dope2:46
- 7.You Go to My Head4:53
- 8.Until I Met You3:11
- 9.You Turned the Tables on Me3:24
- 10.Little Man (You've Had a Busy Day)4:51
Just The Blues1960
Tracklist not collected yet.
String Along With Basie1960
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Count!1960
Tracklist not collected yet.
Basie & Eckstine Incorporated1959
Tracklist not collected yet.
Count Basie and His Orchestra Swings / Tony Bennett Sings1959
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Atomic Mr. Basie1958
Tracklist not collected yet.
Basie Plays Hefti1958
Tracklist not collected yet.
Sing Along With Basie1958
Tracklist not collected yet.
Basie Rides Again1957
Tracklist not collected yet.
Basie Roars Again1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
King of Swing1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
Pop Goes The Basie1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Greatest! Count Basie Plays...Joe Williams Sings Standards1956
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Mercury Records
- Record label
- RCA Records
- Record label
- Apex
- Record label
- Decca
Achievements
- Award
- Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Award
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- Award
- Grammy Trustees Award
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Performance by an Orchestra – for Dancing
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance
- Award
- Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
- Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- Award
- New Jersey Hall of Fame
- Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Award
- NEA Jazz Masters
- Award
- Kansas Music Hall of Fame
Groups
- Count Basie All Starseponymouscurrent
- Count Basie Bandoriginalcurrent
- Count Basie Octeteponymouscurrent
- Count Basie and The Kansas City Sevencurrent
- Count Basie, His Instrumentalists and Rhythmoriginalcurrent
- Jones‐Smith, Incorporatedcurrent
- The Count Basie Orchestraeponymouscurrent
- The Count Basie Trioeponymous, organcurrent
- The Benny Goodman Sextetpiano · 1940
Similar artists
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Basie, Count Baise, Count Basie & Friends, Count Basie & Guests, Count Basie Bunch, Count Bassie
William James "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. 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, his minimalist piano style, and others.
All links
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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