Bill Douglass facts for kids

William "Bill" Douglass (born February 28, 1923 – died December 19, 1994) was an American jazz drummer. He was born in Sherman, Texas. When he was just six months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. As an adult, Bill became a very popular musician there. He played drums for famous musicians like Benny Goodman and Ben Webster. He also played for singers such as Lena Horne and June Christy. Bill Douglass was also known for his important work with the American Federation of Musicians. He strongly supported ending segregation (keeping people apart based on race) in the music unions. He even held leadership roles in these unions before and after they became integrated.

Early Life and Music Journey

Bill Douglass's family moved to Los Angeles to escape Jim Crow laws. These laws enforced racial segregation in the South. Bill grew up in a musical family and loved music from a young age. A big moment for him was hearing Benny Goodman's drummer, Gene Krupa, play "Sing, Sing, Sing" on the radio. He knew right then that he wanted to be a drummer.

Bill started playing drums at McKinley Junior High School. There, he became friends with Dexter Gordon, who later became a famous jazz saxophonist. At Jefferson High School, both Bill and Dexter took band classes. Their teacher, Lloyd Reese, encouraged them to learn music basics. Even though Bill was a drummer, he took piano lessons. He said this helped him understand how all the instruments in a band work together. Bill never took drum lessons, but he learned a lot by watching other drummers. He especially learned from Cab Calloway's drummer, Cozy Cole. Watching these drummers helped Bill create his own unique style.

While still in school, Bill, Dexter Gordon, and Lammar Wright, Jr. started playing in night clubs. They often visited Central Avenue, which was a lively center for African-American jazz music in Los Angeles. Bill eventually played drums for pianist Gerald Wiggins. Later, he joined double bass and tuba player Red Callender. They then formed a trio with the amazing blind pianist Art Tatum.

Serving His Country

After finishing high school in 1941, Bill Douglass joined the United States Army. He was assigned to the African-American 10th Cavalry Regiment band. His high school band teacher was also in this band. Bill served for 15 months in the U.S. before being sent overseas. He traveled to places like Casablanca, Oran, Algiers, Naples, and Rome. During his travels, Bill became the drum major (leader) of his 28-person band. He said his "great height" helped him get this position.

Music and Fighting for Fairness

Around 1949, after his military service, Bill Douglass joined Benny Goodman's band for three years. At that time, Bill was the only Black member of the band. Benny Goodman often found it difficult because the musicians' unions were segregated. This meant Bill had to deal with a separate local union chapter.

Bill's old teacher, Lloyd Reese, encouraged him and other musicians to fight against this unfairness in the unions. These musicians included Buddy Collette, Charlie Mingus, and Chico Hamilton. They worked with Marl Young and Benny Carter to make changes. Since they weren't allowed to speak up at their local union meetings, they decided to run for office. They won enough votes to take most of the spots on the board of directors. Bill Douglass even became the vice president. At the same time, white union members were also pushing for integration. Despite a lot of resistance, both unions voted to join together in 1953.

Joining the unions wasn't easy. Horace Tapscott, who was a young union member then, remembered Bill as a leader in this movement. He said that after the unions combined, some groups of musicians still worked more than others. However, he also noted that many older Black musicians lost their usual places to play after the Black union closed.

Teaching Music to Others

Besides being a working musician, Bill Douglass also taught drums at a place called Drum City. Some of his students became famous themselves. These included Ray Brown, Jr. (the adopted son of bassist Ray Brown), Karen Carpenter, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Selected Music Recordings

Here are some of the albums Bill Douglass played on:

• Gerald Wiggins Trio, Gerald Wiggins, 1953.
• Cal Tjader Quartet, Cal Tjader (Fantasy, 1956)
• Red Callender, The Lowest (MetroJazz, 1958)
• Buddy Collette, Jazz Loves Paris (Speciality, 1958)
• The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Volume Seven, Art Tatum with Buddy DeFranco, 1975.
• The Art Tatum - Ben Webster Quartet, Art Tatum with Ben Webster (Verve, 1956 [1958])
• Honor Thy Fatha, Earl Hines, 1978.
• The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Amos Milburn, Amos Milburn, 1994.
• Naturally, The Red Norvo Quintet, 2005.