Willie Bryant
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William Stevens Bryant (August 30, 1908 – February 9, 1964)[1] was an American jazz bandleader, vocalist, and disc jockey, known as the "Mayor of Harlem".[2]
Biography
Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States,[1] while growing up he took trumpet lessons to little success. His first job in entertainment was dancing in the Whitman Sisters Show in 1926. He worked in various vaudeville productions for the next several years, and in 1934 he appeared in the show Chocolate Revue with Bessie Smith.
In 1934, he put together his first big band, which at times included Teddy Wilson, Cozy Cole, Johnny Russell, Benny Carter, Ben Webster, Eddie Durham, Ram Ramirez, and Taft Jordan.[3] They recorded six times between 1935 and 1938; Bryant sings on 18 of the 26 sides recorded.
Once his ensemble disbanded, Bryant worked in acting and disc jockeying. He recorded
In the 1950s he was the
He died of a
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ David Hinckley (June 23, 1999). "Willie Bryant Something Big". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ISBN 0-14-024916-8..
Further reading
- Scott Yanow, Willie Bryant at AllMusic
- McNeil, Alex (1996), Total Television, Penguin Books, ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
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