Bill Challis
Bill Challis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William H. Challis |
| Born | July 8, 1904 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 4, 1994 (aged 90) Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Piano, saxophone |
William H. Challis (July 8, 1904 – October 4, 1994)[1] was an American jazz arranger, best known for his association with the Paul Whiteman orchestra.
Early life
Challis was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He played piano and saxophone and was a bandleader at Bucknell University in the early-1920s.[2][3]
Career
Challis was hired by
Challis departed from Whiteman's employ in 1930 and did contract arrangements for many major swing-era bands, including the Casa Loma Orchestra, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Lennie Hayton, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Shaw, and Frank Trumbauer. He also arranged for radio broadcasts. Later in his career, he arranged for popular singers and ensembles, including the Casa Loma Orchestra, Bucky Pizzarelli, Glenn Miller, Hoagy Carmichael, the Dorsey Brothers, Coleman Hawkins, and others.
Personal life
Challis died in October 1994, at the age of 90, in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Local Music Arranger Had Big Influence On Big Band Era Wilkes-barre's Bill Challis, Who Died Tuesday At Age 90, Created Innovative Musical Arrangements For Some Of The Most Famous Big Bands In The United States". Timesleader.com. 6 October 1994. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ "ARRANGER RE-CREATING HIS QUIET MARK ON MUSIC". The Morning Call. 12 March 1989. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
Bibliography
- The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld.
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