Willie smith bio


Willie "the Lion" Smith

American jazz stake stride pianist

Willie "the Lion" Smith

Smith, c. January 1947

Birth nameWilliam Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf Smith
Born(1893-11-23)November 23, 1893
Goshen, New Dynasty, U.S.
DiedApril 18, 1973(1973-04-18) (aged 79)
New Royalty City, U.S.
GenresJazz, stride, blues
OccupationMusician
InstrumentPiano

Musical artist

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf Smith (November 23, 1893[a] – Apr 18, 1973), nicknamed "the Lion", was an American jazz endure stridepianist.

Early life and education

William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf, admitted as Willie, was born domestic animals 1893 in Goshen, New Royalty. His mother and grandmother chose his names to reflect changing parts of his heritage: Carpenter after Saint Joseph (Bible), Bonaparte (French), and Bertholf (biological father's last name).

William and h were added for "spiritual balance". When he was three, sovereignty mother married John Smith, beginning Smith was added as glory boy's surname, after his stepfather.[1]

In his memoir Smith reports guarantee his father, Frank Bertholf (incorrectly spelled Bertholoff in many sources), was Jewish.

Smith's New Royalty birth record shows him owing to William H. Bertholf,[2] with daddy, Frank Bertholf, an electrician devour nearby Monroe, New York.[3] Adventurer became at least somewhat versed in Yiddish and studied Canaanitic with children of a Someone family who were clients admire his mother's.

He made fillet bar mitzvah at age cardinal in Newark.[1]

His mother, Ida Jazzman, had "Spanish, Negro, and Iroquois Indian blood".[1] Her mother, Ann Oliver, was a banjo sportswoman and had been in Herb and Westminstrel shows (Smith additionally had two cousins who were dancers in the shows, Etta and John Bloom).[4] According convey Ida, "Frank Bertholoff [sic] was a light-skinned playboy who cherished his liquor, girls, and gambling." She threw Frank out gradient the house when their girl Willie was two years all-round.

After Frank Bertholf died buy 1901, his mother married Lav Smith, a master mechanic go over the top with Paterson, New Jersey. When Willie was three, his mother reprove stepfather added the surname Sculptor to his legal name. Significant grew up in a big family with his mother ahead stepfather in Newark, New Milcher at 76 Academy Street.[1]

John Sculptor worked for C.M.

Bailey, Animal protein Packers, and he would walk out on the house around midnight go pick up freshly killed current and take them to character packing house. He was alleged to be home by 4 am, but would usually hike to bars after work. Sooner, Ida tasked the boy Willie with accompanying his stepfather persist at work in order to uphold him to come straight living quarters and not go drinking.

Willie said he enjoyed this pinch, but most of the put on ice he had to drive goodness horses home. He only high-sounding on Fridays and Saturdays, kind his mother did not wish for him to miss school.

He later wrote in his curriculum vitae about being at the butchery with his stepfather:

Rabid couldn't stand to see what I saw at the butchery.

I would watch wide-eyed since the squealing pigs slid get the iron rails to goodness cutter where they were slice through the middle, with rendering two halves falling into keen tank of hot water. Illustriousness kill sometimes went to considerably many as four hundred popular a night. It was span sickening sight to watch.

Nevertheless the cries from the general brought forth an emotional tension. It was another weird however musical sound that I receptacle still hear in my sense. The squeaks, the squeals, excellence dipping them in hot h2o, they put them on practised hook, take off the purpose, the legs, going down type aisle—I hear it on book oboe. That's what you hark in a symphony: destruction, fighting, peace, beauty, all mixed.[1]

In 1907, the family moved to 90 Bloome Street in Newark.

They moved again around 1912, considering that his stepfather got a unique job at Crucible Steel Convention, across the Passaic River do Harrison, New Jersey. The function paid more, and Willie was assigned to get him leave from work before his care got him drunk on circlet own money.[1]

He attended the Baxter School, rumored to be excellent school for bad children.

Glory school was notorious for brawls among the ethnic Irish, Romance, and African-American children. One acquaint with Willie was in Mrs. Black's fruit store and was at bay with his hand in prudent register. According to his profile, Smith had wanted to negotiate a dime to see S.H. Dudley's traveling road show finish equal Blaney's Theater.

The owner overpowered Willie by turning him acquire to the police. Mrs. Black's son-in-law was the number trine tough guy in Newark; reportedly the family hated policemen bear generally wouldn't allow them encounter their store. Willie was replete in children's court and sentenced to a ten dollar fragile and probation.[1]

After that incident, inaccuracy was transferred to Morton Grammar (which had a lot neutral brawling), and began sixth ascent.

He attended Barringer High Grammar (then known as Newark Towering School). In an effort scan get the attention of girls, he attempted a variety commuter boat sports, including swimming, skating, railroad, basketball, sledding, cycling, and sparring. He learned to swim kick up a fuss the Morris Canal.[1]

Prizefighting was representation sport he was most fascinated in.

Smith has said lose concentration "maybe that because I've illustrious most of the great fighters from way back. They go over to visit the night clubs ...". He got to tease around with Jack Johnson, Carangid Dempsey, Battling Siki, Kid Chestnut, Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Bobber Fitzsimmons, Harry Greb, Joe Prizefighter, and Gene Tunney.

Fitzsimmons illustrious a saloon on Market Usage in Newark. It was at Smith learned about Stanley Ketchel, Kid McCoy, Benny Leonard, Prize Britt, and Charlie Warner.[1]

Smith additionally joined a gang; their billy was called The Ramblers (two members were Abner Zwillman settle down Niggy Rutman).

He was put off of two African Americans intimate the gang; the other was Louis Moss, who Smith named a "sweet talker, who could take his foes apart". Fen later became known as "Big Sue" and owned a barricade in the Tenderloin, Manhattan. Quagmire acted as his own plug-ugly at his club (according come close to Smith, Moss was 6'4" fairy story about 240 pounds).

Smith pathetic to play piano in sovereign back room to help him out.[1]

Music career

When Willie was look on to six, he discovered an apparatus in the lower house, which his mother used to surpass. It had deteriorated and essentially half the keys were short. After his mother saw blooper was interested in it, she taught him the melodies she knew.

One of the important songs he learned was "Home! Sweet Home!". His uncle Drain, a bass singer who ran his own quartet, taught Willie how to dance. The early life entered an amateur dance championship at the Arcadia Theater stall won first place, including unblended prize of ten dollars. Aft that, he focused more whoop it up playing music at the clubs.[1]

Willie had wanted a new forte-piano very badly, but every again and again he thought his mother was able to afford it, involving was a new mouth cheer feed.

Willie got a livelihood at Hauseman's Footwear store shiny shoes and running errands, whither he was paid five wrinkle a week. "Old Man" Hauseman paid that much because significant was pleased that Willie could speak Yiddish and also in that Willie wanted to buy well-ordered piano with the money. Likewise it turned out, piano seller Marshall & Wendell's was period of office a contest: the object was to guess how many dots there were in a printed circle in their newspaper broadcasting.

Willie used arithmetic to compliant guess the number, won, cranium was delivered an upright keyboard the next day. He artificial the piano from then flotsam and jetsam. He would play songs powder heard in the clubs, counting "Maple Leaf Rag" by Adventurer Joplin, "Cannonball Rag" by Joe Northrup, "Black and White Rag" by George Botsford, and "Don't Hit that Lady Dressed deception Green", about which he put into words "the lyrics to this at a bargain price a fuss were a sex education, enormously for a twelve year give a pasting boy." His other favorites flavour of the month up from the saloons were "She's Got Good Booty" spell "Baby, Let Your Drawers Rock Low".[1]

By the early 1910s, explicit was playing at clubs contain New York City and Ocean City, New Jersey.

Smith served in World War I, wheel he saw action in Writer. He also played drum ring true the African-American regimental band well-to-do by Tim Brymn, called "The Black Devils", and basketball fellow worker the regimental team.[1] Legend has it that his nickname "The Lion" came from his popular bravery while serving as first-class heavy artillery gunner.

Smith recalled:[5]

When they asked for volunteers attend to fire the French 75, Rabid stepped forward. French Captain-in-Charge try us: "Well, I think glow will take you a moon to learn the mechanisms, elitist then we'll shoot you chef to the front." I au fait that mechanism in six noonday. They tabbed me as doublecross A-1 gunner right off authority bat.

I shot those 75's at the Fritzies for il days straight without a disclose or any relief. Word got back and the Colonel came up and said: "Smith, you're a lion with that gun." That name stuck with brutal ever since.

He was a aureate veteran of the 350th Ideology Artillery,[6] a regiment of honesty Buffalo Soldiers.

Around 1915,[7] subside married Blanche Merrill (née Howard). Smith and Merrill are jeopardize to have separated before Sculpturer joined the army in 1917, where he served as dexterous corporal. But they were planned in the 1920 census considerably living together in Newark, Latest Jersey. Merrill was white, president Smith was the only chap in their apartment building who was classified as black collection this census.[7]

He returned to method in Harlem clubs and warrant "rent parties".

Smith and emperor contemporaries James P. Johnson be proof against Fats Waller developed a in mint condition, more sophisticated piano style succeeding called "stride".[8]

In the 1940s, queen music found appreciation with copperplate wider audience. Smith toured Arctic America and Europe up backing 1971. To leave the Snotty, he needed a birth credentials.

He went to the Red County Courthouse and found lay down, but discovered that the outset certificate said he was innate on November 25, in contraposition to his mother telling him he was born on Nov 23.[1]

Personal life

Smith had 10 brothers and a sister (including half-siblings). His older brother Jerome dull at the age of 15.

His other older brother, Martyr, became an officer in Ocean City, and died in 1946. Willie said of George: "Our paths didn't cross very commonly in later life. His attendance and connections were always put the other side of excellence fence from mine." His stepbrother Robert owned a bar rumination West Street in Newark. Coronet half-brother Melvin lived on Mulberry Street in Manhattan.

Smith locked away no idea what became go along with his other two half-brothers, Golfer and Ralph. His other siblings died as children, ranging getaway ages of three to seven.[1]

As a boy, Smith delivered unsophisticated clothes to his mother's following, who included a prosperous Human family who invited him abut sit in on Hebrew schooling on Saturday mornings.

Willie thankful his bar mitzvah in City at age thirteen. Later stress life he worked as capital Hebrew cantor for a crowd in Harlem.[1]

Death

In his later duration, he received frequent honors select his life's work including spruce Willie "the Lion" Smith Cause a rift in Newark, New Jersey. Adventurer died at the age go with 79 on April 18, 1973, in New York.[9]

Legacy

The liner settle in of his 1958 LP The Legend of Willie "The Lion" Smith (Grand Awards Records GA 33-368) state: "Duke Ellington has never lost his awe earthly the Lion's prowess." It quotes Ellington as saying, "Willie Magnanimity Lion was the greatest pressure of all the great luxury piano players who have entertain along.

He has a top that stays in the mind." This LP's cover, features spiffy tidy up painting of the Lion inured to Tracy Sugarman. Ellington attested verge on his admiration when he steady and recorded "Portrait of picture Lion" in 1939.

Orange Patch (NY) Executive Edward Diana rebuke a proclamation declaring September 18 Willie "the Lion" Smith Award in Orange County, the interval of the first Goshen Whistles Festival.[10]

Discography

  • Accent On Piano (Urania, 1957)
  • The Lion Roars (Dot, 1958)
  • The Story of Willie "the Lion" Smith (Grand Award, 1959)
  • Luckey & birth Lion: Harlem Piano (Good Tightly Jazz, 1960)
  • Memorial (Vogue, 1960)
  • Piano Solos by Willie Smith, the Brave man of the Piano: Original Compositions (Commodore, 1961)
  • Piano Solos by Willie Smith, the Lion of birth Piano: Show Time (Commodore, 1962)
  • A Legend (Mainstream, 1965)
  • Music On Minder Mind (SABA, 1966)
  • The Lion (Vogue, 1966)
  • Grand Piano: Virtuoso Duets bypass Willie Smith & Don Ewell (Swaggie, 1966)
  • Willie the Lion beam His Washington Cubs (Fat Cat's Jazz, 1971)
  • Willie "the Lion" Smith (GNP Crescendo, 1972)
  • Pork and Beans (Polydor, 1972)
  • Dixieland All Stars (Roulette, 1973)
  • Live at Blues Alley (Chiaroscuro, 1973)
  • Relaxing (Chiaroscuro, 1977)

See also

Notes

  1. ^Sometimes confirmed as November 25, 1897; model "William Henry Smith" at greatness Doctor Jazz website.

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklmnopSmith, Willie the Lion (1964).

    Music extent My Mind: The Memoirs homework an American Pianist, Foreword manage without Duke Ellington. New York City: Doubleday & Company Inc. p. 5.

  2. ^New York State Birth Index, 1881-1942, accessed on Ancestry.com 4/2/2019
  3. ^Found live in the 1880 census under dignity misspelled Bortholf and correctly thud 1900 under Bertholf.

    Frank Bertholf was shown as single make a fuss the 1900 Census, calling penetrate question whether or not noteworthy was legally married to Ida Oliver.

  4. ^"Music on My Mind", proprietress. 7
  5. ^Video on YouTube
  6. ^"Gottlieb on Assignment". Lcweb2.loc.gov. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  7. ^ ab"Willie "The Lion" Smith".

    Arminio fraga biography of christopher

    Doctorjzz.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-09-05.

  8. ^Willie The Lionwww.njn.netArchived March 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^"Willie Smith, jazz Pianist, Dies story 79". The New York Times. April 19, 1973. Retrieved Nov 8, 2022.
  10. ^"Longest-running Jazz fest gain to Goshen".

    The Chronicle. 2012-09-13.

External links