Billy Eckstine
Billy Eckstine
William Clarence Eckstine was an American jazz and pop singer, and a bandleader of the swing era. He was noted for his rich, resonant, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. Eckstine's recording of "I Apologize"was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. The New York Times described him as an "influential band leader" whose "suave bass-baritone and "full-throated, sugary approach to popular songs inspired singers like Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock and Lou Rawls."...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRock Singer
Date of Birth8 July 1914
CityPittsburgh, PA
CountryUnited States of America
If you want to be a doctor, a lawyer you must go to college. But if you want to be a musician or such, study your craft. Study music.
I'm used to hearing myself. My own voice.
I'm a firm believer and I think my religion is inside.
I knew exactly what I was, and there was no hang-up with me. None whatsoever. The fact that the pigment of my skin maybe being lighter brown than other people of my race, maybe some of them, but you know our race has all colors.
I just went to Harvard a little while, because I graduated from Armstrong High School in Washington and then I went up there but I didn't stay that long because I went into show business.
My view is that you cannot close your mind and say I don't want to listen to this or that. Because if you can't appreciate the bad for being bad, you can't appreciate the good. If you turn a deaf ear to everything but one style, pretty soon it's not going to work out.
I'm not much on gimmicks. I never have been because they don't last.
You can't sing about love unless you know about it.
As a matter of fact they'd blacken us down. I guess there's a reason that according to what the Caucasian wanted us to look like. He wanted us to look-if we were Black, then he had his idea of what we look like.
It taught me something. It taught you your craft.
It was my band. I organized the band and Dizzy was in the band. Dizzy was the first musical director with the band. Charlie Parker was in the band. But, no, no, that was my band.
Piano should be the one. Yeah, because that's your basis. Everything is right there in front of you.
Oh, yeah. I know Dizzy. For years he's been my buddy way, way, way back. Dizzy is one of the most astute guys and one of the most learned guys in the world and knows exactly what he's doing musically.
L.A. is kind of laid back, but New York, everybody is out there for that buck, you know.