Erskine Butterfield facts for kids
Erskine Butterfield (born February 9, 1913 – died July 11, 1961) was a talented American musician. He was a pianist, singer, bandleader, and composer. He was active from the 1930s to the 1950s. Erskine was famous for his exciting boogie-woogie and swing piano playing. People even said he helped create the "cocktail piano" style, which is a smooth and easy-listening way of playing.
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Erskine's Early Life and Music Career
Erskine Butterfield was born in Syracuse, New York. His family later moved to Newark, New Jersey. He started playing the piano at a very young age there.
Radio and First Recordings
In the 1930s, Erskine often appeared on radio shows. One of these was WOR in New York City. He also played with Noble Sissle's orchestra. His first recordings were made in 1937. In 1938, he signed with Decca Records. He recorded over forty songs for them between 1940 and 1942. Many of these songs were released to the public.
The "Singing Vagabond" and New Sounds
In 1939, the Chicago Defender newspaper called him the "Singing Vagabond of the Keys." Erskine was also special because he was one of the first to have both black and white musicians play together in his band. His band included talented musicians like Jimmy Lytell on clarinet and Carmen Mastren on guitar.
Music During Wartime
In 1939, Butterfield also started working with Joe Davis of Beacon Records. They had a long partnership. In 1943, Erskine was drafted into the military. But he still continued to play music in a group. He even made special recordings called V-Discs in 1945 for soldiers. In 1944, he recorded eight more songs for Joe Davis. These were released under the name Erskine Butterfield and his Blue Boys.
Music in Movies and Later Years
Erskine's smooth swing style and piano playing led to some of his songs being used in movies. Songs like "Lovin' Man" and "Because Of You" were featured in film soundtracks.
After World War II, Erskine formed a trio and toured a lot. However, his music style became less popular for a while. He recorded for smaller record labels in the late 1940s. His recording work then slowed down. But in 1956, he recorded more songs for Joe Davis. He reformed his group, Butterfield and his Blue Boys. This group included musicians like Sam "The Man" Taylor on saxophone and Panama Francis on drums.
Erskine also appeared on popular TV shows. These included The Nat King Cole Show, The Tony Martin Program, and The Jo Stafford Show.
He passed away on July 11, 1961, in New York City.
