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  1. Willie "The Lion" Smith

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  2. Willie 'The Lion' Smith, Composer born

    will the lion smith biography

  3. Willie «The Lion» Smith

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  4. Willie The Lion Smith

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  5. Willie The Lion Smith

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  6. The Best of Willie "The Lion" Smith, Willie "The Lion" Smith

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  1. Willie "the Lion" Smith

    William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf Smith (November 23, 1893 - April 18, 1973), nicknamed "the Lion", was an American jazz and stride pianist. Early life and education [ edit ] William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf, known as Willie, was born in 1893 in Goshen, New York .

  2. William [Willie "the Lion"] Smith (1897-1973)

    Jazz pianist, Willie "the Lion" Smith was born William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff on November 25, 1897. Smith was born to parents Ida Oliver and Frank Bertholoff in Goshen, New York. Bertholoff passed away in 1901, and Oliver married mechanic John Smith. The two raised … Read MoreWilliam [Willie "the Lion"] Smith (1897-1973)

  3. Willie 'The Lion' Smith: Stride Piano Master : NPR

    Well-known for his flamboyant behavior, ever-present cigar, and derby hat, Willie Smith — nicknamed "The Lion" — was a master practitioner of Harlem stride piano. William Henry Joseph Berthol ...

  4. Willie "The Lion" Smith Musician

    Smith toured Europe in 1949 and again in the mid '60s; appeared in the film Jazz Dance in 1954 and wrote his memoirs, Music On My Mind in '65. Willie "The Lion" Smith lived through six decades of music and, despite the changes in musical styles over those years; he remained true to himself and his own style. He recorded a final album in Paris ...

  5. Willie 'The Lion' Smith, Composer born

    Willie "TheLion" Smith, 1974. On this date in 1897, "Willie the Lion" Smith was born. He was a Black Jewish j azz pianist and composer. Born Bertholoff William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Smith in Goshen, New York, he grew up in Newark, N.J., with his mother and stepfather. He began studying piano at age six, inspired by his grandmother, who ...

  6. Remembering Willie 'The Lion' Smith, one of jazz's first Jewish stars

    Willie "The Lion" Smith - Paris 1965. Watch on. The Lion came into the world Nov. 23, 1893 in Goshen, New York, as William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf, acquiring the Smith around the age of 3 when his mother remarried. He discovered later in life that his father had Jewish heritage, which deepened the connections he felt for the Jewish ...

  7. Smith, Willie the Lion

    Willie the Lion Smith. Pianist. Willie the Lion Smith was a pianist who stood at the center of the New York City jazz world in the roaring 1920s. He performed at the most fashionable nightclubs in New York City's predominantly African-American Harlem neighborhood, accompanied other musicians on recordings, and inspired and mentored a host of younger musicians.

  8. Willie 'The Lion' Smith: Stride Piano's Uptown Ruler

    Willie "The Lion" Smith in his New York City apartment in 1947, smoking a signature stogie. The life of stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith was the stuff of legend, but unfortunately, some of ...

  9. Willie "the Lion" Smith bio

    Willie "the Lion" Smith. Real name: William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith American composer and jazz pianist. Born : November 23 , 1897 in Goshen, New York. Died : April 18, 1973 in New York City, New York. Willie, who was active from the 1910s to the present day, is best known for his Harlem Stride style of playing.

  10. Willie "The Lion" Smith : NPR

    Willie 'The Lion' Smith: Stride Piano's Uptown Ruler Jazz24. November 23, 2011 • The life of Willie "The Lion" Smith was the stuff of legend, but his music backs up his boasts.

  11. The Legendary Willie "The Lion" Smith Harlem Jazz Man, Cantor, Duke

    William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf Smith, November 23, 1893 - April 18, 1973, also known as "The Lion", was a Harlem cantor, jazz pianist, and a master practitioner of Harlem stride piano during the Harlem Renaissance.. Usually grouped with James P. Johnson and Thomas "Fats" Waller as the three greatest practitioners of the genre in its golden age, from about 1920 to 1943, and ...

  12. Willie Smith

    Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith. He adapted his style for orchestral purposes, accompanying with vivid harmonic colours and, especially in later years, offering swinging solos with angular melodies. An elegant man, Ellington maintained a regal manner as he led the band and charmed audiences with his…. Read More. Other articles where ...

  13. Willie "The Lion" Smith

    Willie "The Lion" Smith at Carnegie Hall. View Performances at Carnegie Hall. Read Willie "The Lion" Smith's biography & explore more on Carnegie Hall's interactive Timeline of African American Music.

  14. Willie "The Lion" Smith: Profiles in Jazz

    September 27, 2018. Profiles In Jazz. William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith was a contradictory but lovable figure, as colorful as his long original name. With his bowler hat, a cigar in his mouth, and an extroverted personality that often found him bragging, Willie "The Lion" Smith could look and act like the stereotype of a ...

  15. Willie The Lion Smith (1897-1973)

    Willie "The Lion" Smith (November 23, 1893 - April 18, 1973) was one of the fathers of the stride piano style. During the 1920s he was a sort of underground figure, who gained a reputation as a hot piano player by providing the music for rent parties in the private homes and small clubs of Harlem. He recorded rarely during the 1920s, but ...

  16. Willie "The Lion" Smith Profile: December 15th at 2pm

    The Lion (November 1893 - 18 April 1973) was a contemporary of James P. Johnson and Thomas "Fats" Waller. He picked up the organ and piano around the age of 6 continued until the end of his life, playing ragtime, blues, Dixieland, boogie-woogie, swing, bebop and bop. Join WKCR as we follow the upbeat, virtuosic music of The Lion. Tune in for ...

  17. Willie "The Lion" Smith: 100 Classic Recordings

    It was 1935 before he recorded under his own name (Willie The Lion And His Cubs) and 1939 before his first solo recordings were issued. This four-CD compilation contains 100 tracks recorded 1925-53, featuring Smith in a variety of musical settings, both as an intriguing soloist and composer, and as a strongly supportive sideman with a host of ...

  18. Willie "The Lion" Smith Songs, Albums, Reviews...

    Learn all about Willie "The Lion" Smith on AllMusic. Explore Willie "The Lion" Smith's discography including top tracks, albums, and reviews. Learn all about Willie "The Lion" Smith on AllMusic. New Releases. Discover. Genres Moods Themes. Blues Classical Country. Electronic Folk International. Pop/Rock Rap R&B. Jazz Latin All ...

  19. Willie "The Lion" Smith

    Willie "The Lion" Smith. Andy Senior. October 30, 2022. Jazz Birthday. William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith was born on November 25, 1897, in Goshen, New York. Young Willie began playing piano when he was six and, by the time he was 14, he was performing in clubs in Atlantic City and NYC. Influenced by the ragtime pianists that ...

  20. Willie the Lion

    Between 1920 and 1940, few pianists achieved the mythological status of Willie "The Lion" Smith. Along with James P. Johnson (from New Brunswick, NJ) and "Fa...

  21. Smith, Willie "the Lion" (1897-1973), jazz pianist

    "Smith, Willie "the Lion" (1897-1973), jazz pianist" published on by Oxford University Press. "Smith, Willie "the Lion" (1897-1973), jazz pianist" published on by Oxford University Press. Jump to Content Menu User Account. Personal Profile ... American National Biography Advanced search ...

  22. 1944-1949

    Moods and Themes. Submit Corrections. 1944-1949 by Willie "The Lion" Smith released in 2002. Find album reviews, track lists, credits, awards and more at AllMusic.

  23. Willie "The Lion" Smith

    Willie Smith (The Lion) And His Cubs* - What Can I Do With A Foolish Girl Like You? 2:47: 9: Willie Smith (The Lion) And His Cubs* - Harlem Joys: 2:37: 10: Willie Smith (The Lion) And His Cubs* - Echo Of Spring: 2:38: 11: Willie Smith (The Lion) And His Cubs* - Breeze (Blow My Baby Back To Me) 2:50: 12: Willie Smith (The Lion) And His ...