One of the world’s greatest drummers has found a new resting place. Louie Bellson died at 84 in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Valentine’s day.
Louie had played with such greats as Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Oscar Peterson, Woody Herman, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong.
He had fallen in November, broken his hip, and was in rehab. Complications from Parkinson’s disease are given as the cause of his death.
Bellson, leaves a legacy of rich music, both secular and sacred. At some point in his life, he became a Christian and played rather regularly in his church [more](Emmanuel Baptist in San Jose I do believe). He played with Duke Ellington for his Sacred Concerts, and Duke encouraged him to compose and conduct his own sacred concert, which he did and recorded it with members of the USC studio band.
Louie is recognized as the inventor of the double bass drum at age 15, which earned him an “A” in Art class. At 17 he won a major drumming contest against 40,000 competitors. He was the drummer or conductor on over 200 albums, and his last CD was released in 2008.
It was my pleasure to be introduced to him when he played with the Cal State Hayward Jazz Ensemble, on at least two occasions. It is my pleasure to have in my posession autographed CDs from this giant of music. It was surprising the first time I saw him play, that at the end of the concert, he said “every now and then I get away from church with my wife and play outside like this. Church isn’t a bad place – it’s where I found peace and a reason to live.”
Thank you Louie. Thank you God that I got to see and hear this giant.
[center]Thanks to louiebellson.com for the photograph[/center]