BILLY STRAYHORN

• November 29, 1915 William Thomas “Billy” Strayhorn, hall of fame composer, pianist and arranger, was born in Dayton, Ohio but raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Strayhorn began his musical career studying classical music at the Pittsburgh Music Institute and while still in his teens composed the song “Life Is Lonely” which was later renamed “Lush Life.” In 1938, Strayhorn met Duke Ellington and over the next 25 years they worked together on a number of classic pieces, including “Take the A Train” (1939), “Day Dream” (1946), and “Satin Doll” (1953). Strayhorn died May 31, 1967. Two years later, Ellington recorded a memorial album, “And His Mother Called Him Bill,” consisting entirely of Strayhorn compositions. Strayhorn was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1967. The Billy Strayhorn Historical Marker, located at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, was dedicated in 1995. His biography, “Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn,” was published in 1996.

>via: http://thewright.org/explore/blog/entry/today-in-black-history-11292013