ArtistInfo

William H. Bailey

voc, *1927
Singer of Jazz
A.k.a. Dr. William H. Bailey Bob Bailey

Born in Detroit on Feb. 14, 1927, Bailey was raised in Cleveland and graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he was a classmate of Martin Luther King Jr. He toured and recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra as a featured singer in the late 1940s and began performing as Bob Bailey to avoid being confused with a cousin, Bill Bailey, who was a tap dancer, actor and also sang professionally. He is also a cousin to Pearl Bailey. While attending Morehouse on a musical scholarship, Bailey was singing in a nightclub when bandleader Benny Goodman approached him with an invitation to audition for Count Basie. Bailey’s recordings with the Count Basie Orchestra include "Blue and Sentimental" and "The Worst Blues I Ever Had." He also recorded a version of the popular Irish ballad "Danny Boy." The Basie gig ended in 1950 when Basie broke up his big band. Bailey went on to become a civil rights defender helping break down barriers in the Las Vegas casinos, and hosted a long running show on Las Vegas TV, amongst other important accomplishments. Bailey received a Doctorate of Humane Letters from National University, San Diego, in 1987. He died on May 24, 2014 in Las Vegas, at the age of 87.

Genres

• Jazz
• Pop
• Blues

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