Eckstine, Billy
Eckstine, Billy
biographical name(born July 8, 1914, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.—died March 8, 1993, Pittsburgh) U.S. singer and bandleader. Eckstine sang with Earl Hines's big band (1939–43), then formed his own band in 1944. Sympathetic with the new sounds of bebop, Eckstine engaged many of its innovators, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan. Disbanding the group in 1947, he achieved greater popular success as a solo performer, specializing in ballads that featured his deep, resonant baritone. He was one of the greatest interpreters of popular song and blues in jazz.
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