Billy Taylor
Background information
Born	July 27, 1921 (1921-07-27) (age 86)
Origin	Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Genre(s)	Jazz, Hard Bop
Occupation(s)	Pianist, Composer, Educator
Instrument(s)	Piano
Years active	1940s – Present
Associated acts	Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Miles Davis Nancy Wilson Dee Dee Bridgewater Cyrus Chestnut
Website	www.BillyTaylorJazz.com

Billy Taylor (born July 24, 1921 in Greenville, North Carolina) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. He is currently the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Since 1994, he has been the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Billy Taylor may refer to any of the following people: Billy Taylor (born 1921) is a jazz pianist Billy Taylor (sportsman) (born 1899), footballer and cricketer Billy Taylor (cricketer) (born 1977), an English cricketer Billy Taylor (19th century baseball player) (1855-1900), a 19th century baseball player Billy Taylor (baseball... If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Nickname: Location of Greenville shown within North Carolina Coordinates: , Country State County Pitt County Settled 1771 Founded 1774 (Martinsborough) Founded 1786 (Greenville) Government  - Mayor Ted Hendricks Area  - City  26. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ... For the Australian cricketer nicknamed Dizzy, see Jason Gillespie. ... Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz musician, widely considered to be one of the most influential of the 20th century. ... Nancy Wilson is the name of two prominent American entertainers: An African-American singer and actress. ... Dee Dee Bridgewater (b. ... Cyrus Chestnut is a jazz pianist. ... is the 205th day of the year (206th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Nickname: Location of Greenville shown within North Carolina Coordinates: , Country State County Pitt County Settled 1771 Founded 1774 (Martinsborough) Founded 1786 (Greenville) Government  - Mayor Ted Hendricks Area  - City  26. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, intensive research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. ... Nickname: Location of Greenville shown within North Carolina Coordinates: , Country State County Pitt County Settled 1771 Founded 1774 (Martinsborough) Founded 1786 (Greenville) Government  - Mayor Ted Hendricks Area  - City  26. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... The Kennedy Center as seen from the Potomac River. ...

Biography

Taylor was born in Greenville, North Carolina. He graduated from Virginia State College with a B.S. in Music in 1942, and has been playing piano professionally since 1944, starting with Ben Webster's Quartet on New York's 52nd Street. He later became the house pianist at Birdland, where he performed with the likes of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. He was a protege of jazz pianist Art Tatum. In 1958, he was the Musical Director of NBC's The Subject Is Jazz, the first ever television series on the subject of jazz. Nickname: Location of Greenville shown within North Carolina Coordinates: , Country State County Pitt County Settled 1771 Founded 1774 (Martinsborough) Founded 1786 (Greenville) Government  - Mayor Ted Hendricks Area  - City  26. ... Virginia State University, located in Ettrick, Virginia (near Petersburg, in the Richmond area), was founded on March 6, 1882. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909–September 20, 1973) was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. ... Birdland is a jazz club started in New York City in 1949. ... Charles Bird Parker, Jr. ... For the Australian cricketer nicknamed Dizzy, see Jason Gillespie. ... Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926 – September 28, 1991) was an American jazz musician, widely considered to be one of the most influential of the 20th century. ... Arthur Tatum Jr. ... Jan. ...

Among his most notable works is "I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel to Be Free)", composed in 1954, and subsequently achieving more popularity with Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Nina Simone covered the song in her 1967 album Silk and Soul. It is widely known in the UK as a piano instrumental version, used for BBC1's Film programme, hosted by Barry Norman and subsequently Jonathan Ross. Derek Trucks, The Lighthouse Family and Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra have also recorded versions. Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eunice Kathleen Waymon, better known by her stage name Nina Simone (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and civil rights activist. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Silk & Soul is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone (1933-2003). ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... Film 2006 is a weekly film review show on the BBC. The first series was broadcast in 1972 under the title Film 72, and the title has been updated annually to match the year of broadcast. ... Barry Norman (b. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is an American guitarist, bandleader (The Derek Trucks Band), and member of The Allman Brothers Band. ... The Lighthouse Family were a British duo from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. ... Julian Miles Holland, OBE (born 24 January 1958 in London) is an English virtuoso pianist, bandleader, television presenter, architectural eccentric and pop music enthusiast. ...

Selective awards and recognitions

With over twenty three honorary doctoral degrees, Dr. Billy Taylor is also the recipient of two Peabody Awards, NEA Jazz Masters Award (1998) an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award (2004)^[1] and a host of prestigious and highly coveted prizes, such as the National Medal of Arts (1992), the Tiffany Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Down Beat Magazine. He was also honored in 2001 with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Jazz Living Legend Award,^[2] and election to the Hall of Fame for the International Association for Jazz Education. The George Foster Peabody Awards, more commonly known as simply the Peabody Awards, are annual awards given for excellence in radio and television broadcasting and cable television within the United States. ... The NEA, or National Endowment for the Arts, every year honors up to seven jazz musicians with Jazz Master Awards. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... An Emmy Award. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Medal of Arts is an award and title bestowed on selected honorees by the National Endowment for the Arts. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Down Beat is an American magazine devoted to jazz. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a non-profit performing rights organization that protects its members musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them accordingly. ...

Now in his eighties, and officially retired from active touring and recording, he remains active with his educational activities and a full schedule of speaking engagements and appearances on radio and television.

External links

• Biography
• Library of Congress exhibit
• Official Website that includes extensive video
• Billy Taylor biography and video interview excerpts by The National Visionary Leadership Project