DID YOU KNOW HE WAS A FREEMASON ?
COUNT BASIE
Jazz icon Count Basie, the “King of Swing,” was a member of Wisdom Lodge No. 102 in Chicago, Illinois.
The great jazz pianist and composer William James "Count" Basie helped establish swing music as one of jazz’s most popular styles. Brother Basie was known for his good humor, relaxed demeanor, and passion for his craft.
He was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1904 and began learning the piano at a young age. Always focused on his love for music, he began touring and playing professionally in his teens. He moved to New York City in 1924 and began rubbing elbows with other great musicians of the time, including fellow Freemason Fats Waller.
In 1935, Basie formed Count Basie Orchestra, the band he would lead for nearly 50 years. As his career advanced and he gained more renown, he became known for how his style compared to his contemporaries. Compositionally, Basie’s songs were often straightforward, built off simple melodies over which his band members could solo.
For his unique contributions to the world of music, he won nine Grammy awards during his life. He received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music, was inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame in 2019, and also was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
If you would like to be part of a global community that has and still has so many famous members, that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join?
After filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.
Jazz icon Count Basie, the “King of Swing,” was a member of Wisdom Lodge No. 102 in Chicago, Illinois.
The great jazz pianist and composer William James "Count" Basie helped establish swing music as one of jazz’s most popular styles. Brother Basie was known for his good humor, relaxed demeanor, and passion for his craft.
He was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1904 and began learning the piano at a young age. Always focused on his love for music, he began touring and playing professionally in his teens. He moved to New York City in 1924 and began rubbing elbows with other great musicians of the time, including fellow Freemason Fats Waller.
In 1935, Basie formed Count Basie Orchestra, the band he would lead for nearly 50 years. As his career advanced and he gained more renown, he became known for how his style compared to his contemporaries. Compositionally, Basie’s songs were often straightforward, built off simple melodies over which his band members could solo.
For his unique contributions to the world of music, he won nine Grammy awards during his life. He received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music, was inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame in 2019, and also was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
If you would like to be part of a global community that has and still has so many famous members, that has its roots firmly in the ground in Buckinghamshire, please join us by following this link: https://buckspgl.org/join?
After filling in the short form, our Membership Team will be in touch.