Billy Strayhorn
Birthday November 29, 1915
Birth Sign Sagittarius
#206221 Most Popular
About
Jazz artist known for this three-decade collaboration with Duke Ellington.
Before Fame
He studied piano in grade school and worked odd jobs so that he could purchase his own piano.
Trivia
He spent most of his life in Ellington's shadow, but jazz aficionados regarded his compositions Lush Life, Take the "A" Train, and Chelsea Bridge as classics.
Family Life
He spent most of his childhood with his grandparents because of his father's problems with alcohol. His grandmother cultivated a great love for music within him, and he spent most of his time playing hymns on her piano and listening to records on her Victrola record player.
Associated With
His work with Ellington on 1959's Anatomy of a Murder, directed by Otto Preminger and starring James Stewart, was heralded for its non-diegetic music.
