The Great Louie Bellson

Hello Friends,
Sadly we have lost another great musician and drummer The great Louie Bellson. He was an amazing player and true innovator of the instrument. Probably the first double bass drum player, but always the gentleman and humble till the end would never admit to it. Probably best known for his time with The Duke Ellington Band, although his list of credits reads as the whos who of Jazz and bigband music. He did stints with Tommy Dorsey, Harry James,Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and many many more. He married jazz singer Pearl Bailey in 1952 and had 2 children with her. She passed in 1990, He married again to Francine and was with her until his death on Valentines Day Feb 14th,2009. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bellson who spoke with me for at least an hour. He left a lasting impression on me of what a true gentleman he was. A man of emmence style and grace . His kind only comes around once, A jazz pioneer……… he will be missed .
Matt Sorum