George Williams (musician)
George Dale "The Fox" Williams (November 5, 1917 – April 17, 1988) was a musician, composer, and an arranger for a number of major big bands, including Jimmie Lunceford, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Sonny Dunham, and Ray Anthony.[1]
Career
[edit]He co-wrote and arranged the hit song "It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake like That)" with pianist Chummy MacGregor for Glenn Miller and "Gene's Boogie" with Gene Krupa. He arranged "Hamp's Boogie Woogie" for Lionel Hampton. He co-wrote with Ray Anthony his hit songs "Lackawanna Local" and "The Fox" and arranged "The Bunny Hop", co-written by Ray Anthony, and most of Anthony's recorded arrangements.[2] He wrote arrangements for Harry James, Vaughan Monroe, Charlie Ventura, and his recording band, for which he produced two LPs and an EP in the late 1950s as a leader.
In addition, he arranged and conducted the music for Barbra Streisand's first commercial single, "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1962). Williams was a ghostwriter for the arrangements on Jackie Gleason's television show and arranged Gleason's albums in the 1950s and 1960s.[3][4][5] Other performers for whom he wrote arrangements include: Count Basie, Mike Douglas, Les & Larry Elgart, Bobby Hackett and the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Discography
[edit]- The Fox in HiFi (Brunswick, 1955)
- Such Beautiful Music (RCA Victor, 1956)
- Swing Classics in Stereo (United Artists, 1959)
- Put On Your Dancing Shoes (United Artists, 1960)
As Arranger or conductor
[edit]With Louis Bellson
With Roy Eldridge
- Rockin' Chair (Clef, 1951)
References
[edit]- ^ "Big Band Library: Ray Anthony "Mr. Anthony's Band"". www.bigbandlibrary.com. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
- ^ Feather, Leonard (1960). The New Edition of the Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Horizon. p. 463.
- ^ Henry III, William A. (1992). The Great One : The Life and Legend of Jackie Gleason (1st ed.). Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-41533-8.
- ^ Bacon, James (1986). How Sweet It Is : The Jackie Gleason Story. St. Martin's. ISBN 0-312-90229-8.
- ^ "George Williams, Musical Arranger, 71". The New York Times. 21 April 1988. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
Sources
[edit]- Flower, John (1972). Moonlight Serenade: a bio-discography of the Glenn Miller Civilian Band. New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House. ISBN 0-87000-161-2.
- Miller, Glenn (1943). Glenn Miller's Method for Orchestral Arranging. New York: Mutual Music Society. ASIN: B0007DMEDQ
- Simon, George Thomas (1971). Simon Says. New York: Galahad. ISBN 0-88365-001-0.
- Simon, George Thomas (1980). Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. New York: Da Capo paperback. ISBN 0-306-80129-9.
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