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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2seB_c_ibk
William Clarence “Billy†Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an
American singer of ballads and
bandleader of the swing era.
Eckstine's smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers
throughout the 1940s, first as leader of the original bop big-band, then as the
first romantic black male in popular music.
 | |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Clarence Eckstine |
| Also known as | Mr. B |
| Born | July 8, 1914 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Died | March 8, 1993 (aged 78) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1940s-1990s |
Quincy Jones quoted in
Billboard: "I looked up to Mr. B
as an idol. I wanted to dress like him, talk like him, pattern my whole life as
a musician and as a complete person in the image of dignity that he projected...
As a black man, Eckstine was not immune to the prejudice that characterized the
1950s". Quincy Jones is quoted in The Pleasures of Jazz as saying of
Eckstine: “If he’d been white, the sky would have been the limit. As it was, he
didn’t have his own radio or TV show, much less a movie career. He had to fight
the system, so things never quite fell into place.â€"
Finally, Lionel
Hampton, legendary vibraphonist: "He was one of the greatest singers of all
time. We were proud of him because he was the first Black popular singer singing
popular songs in our race. We, the whole music profession, were so happy to see
him achieve what he was doing. He was one of the greatest singers of that era .
. .He was our singer."
If I told a lie, if I made you cry
When I said goodbye, I'm sorry
From
the bottom of my heart, dear
I apologize
If I caused you pain, I know
I'm to blame
Must have been insane, believe me
From the bottom of my
heart, dear
I apologize
I realize I've been unfair to you
Please
let me make amends
Don't say that you forgot the love we knew
After all,
we were more than friends
Give me back your glance, give me back
romance
Give me one more chance, forgive me
From the bottom of my heart,
dear
I apologize
If I made you blue, I've had heartaches too
Now I
beg of you, forgive me
From the bottom of my heart, dear
I apologize
Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902–July 21, 1960), a member of the
Songwriter's Hall Of Fame since 1984, was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s,
40s and 50s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for many number one
hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today. The
popularity of Hoffman's song, "Mairzy Doats", co-written with Jerry Livingston and
Milton Drake, was such that newspapers and magazines wrote about the craze. Time
magazine titled one article "Our Mairzy Dotage". The New York Times simply wrote
the headline, "That Song".
Hoffman's songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra ("Close To You",
"I'm Gonna Live Until I Die"), Billy Eckstine ("I Apologize") Perry Como ("Papa Loves Mambo", "Hot Diggity"), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ("Who
Walks In When I Walk Out"), Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, the Merry Macs, Sophie Tucker, Eartha Kitt, Patsy Cline, Patti Page ("Allegheny Moon"), Bette Midler, and most everyone who was a star of
that era. In October, 2007, Hoffman's "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" was the lead
single from Queen Latifah's new album, "Trav'lin' Light".