Photo: William P. Gottlieb / Adam Cuerden / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Billy Strayhorn is, to me, one of the great quiet geniuses of American music. For nearly three decades he wrote and arranged alongside Duke Ellington, and while Ellington got the marquee, Strayhorn gave us Take the 'A' Train, Chelsea Bridge, and the heartbreakingly sophisticated Lush Life, which he reportedly began composing as a teenager. That last song still floors me; few writers have captured world-weary longing with such elegance. He worked largely in the shadow of a more famous collaborator, yet his fingerprints are all over the sound we call Ellington. The 1968 Grammy Trustees Award barely begins to acknowledge what he gave to jazz.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Billy Strayhorn
- Name (Japanese)
- ビリー・ストレイホーン
- Reading
- びりー・すとれいほーん
- Born
- November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rabbit
- Origin
- Dayton, Ohio, United States
- Occupation
- pianist / composer / jazz musician / songwriter / music arranger
2. Background
- High school
- Westinghouse High School
Awards & achievements
- 1968 Grammy Trustees Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Billy Strayhorn born?
November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967.
Where is Billy Strayhorn from?
Billy Strayhorn is from Dayton, Ohio, United States.
What does Billy Strayhorn do?
Billy Strayhorn works as pianist, composer, jazz musician, songwriter, music arranger.
Pianist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.