Pianist, educator, radio and television presenter. William Edward Taylor, Jr. born July 24, 1921 in Greenville, N.C.; died December 28, 2010 in New York City.
Attended Dunbar High School and studied music at Virginia State College. Moved to New York City in 1943.
Musical director of NBC-TV program “The Subject Is Jazz” in 1958. Introduced Jazzmobile in New York City, a flatbed truck which brought live jazz into different New York neighborhoods. Host of “Billy Taylor’s Jazz at the Kennedy Center” radio program (1994-2002). Named an NEA Jazz Master in 1988 and awarded a National Medal of Arts in 1992.
Bibliography
Herron, Paul. “On the Town.” Washington Post, March 24, 1954.
Joyce, Mike. “Billy Taylor.” Washington Post, July 25, 1979.
Keepnews, Peter. “Billy Taylor, Jazz Pianist, Dies at 89.” New York Times, December 30, 2010.
Kernis, Mark. “Dr. Billy Taylor’s Warm Piano.” Washington Post, February 8, 1978.
Matthews, Paul B. “Billy Taylor Interview.” Cadence 22, no. 1 (January 1996): 19–29, 122.
Matthews, Paul B. “Billy Taylor Interview.” Cadence 22, no. 2 (February 1996): 11–14, 124.
Matthews, Paul B. “Billy Taylor Interview.” Cadence 22, no. 3 (March 1996): 10–20, 119.
Matthews, Paul B. “Billy Taylor Interview.” Cadence 21, no. 10 (October 1995): 19–30, 122.
Matthews, Paul B. “Billy Taylor Interview.” Cadence 21, no. 11 (November 1995): 21–37, 120.
Matthews, Paul B. “Billy Taylor Interview.” Cadence 21, no. 12 (December 1995): 5–15, 122.
Parker-Sparrow, Bradley. “Billy Taylor Presents America’s Classical Music.” Down Beat, May 1980.
Renninger, Christian. “Dr. Billy Taylor.” Radio Free Jazz, October 1975.
Schudel, Matt. “Kennedy Center Highlights the District’s Jazz Roots.” Washington Post, November 21, 2008.
Stokes, W. Royal. Growing up with Jazz: Twenty-Four Musicians Talk About Their Lives and Careers. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
Taylor, Billy. Interview. Interview by W. Royal Stokes, August 18, 2003. W. Royal Stokes Collection. Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Taylor, Billy. Interview. Interview by W. Royal Stokes, September 24, 1985. W. Royal Stokes Collection. Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Taylor, Billy. Interview. Interview by W. Royal Stokes, September 28, 1982. W. Royal Stokes Collection. Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Taylor, Billy. Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program NEA Jazz Master interview. Interview by Anthony Brown and Eugene Holly, November 19, 1993. Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/oral_histories/pdf/Taylor.pdf.
West, Hollie I. “Taylor’s Graceful Pianism.” Washington Post, August 18, 1977.
“Communiques: Oct. 10th Billy Taylor Day.” Unicorn Times, October 1981.
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