Gil Askey facts for kids
Gilbert Askey (born March 9, 1925 – died April 9, 2014) was a talented American jazz trumpeter, composer, and music producer. He was born in Austin, Texas, and later moved to Australia in 1988.
Personal life
Gilbert Askey was born in Austin, Texas. He left home when he was 17 years old. He even studied at university for two years on a scholarship for medicine! In 1980, he married an Australian woman he had first met in 1973. They moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1988.
Career
Gilbert Askey was known as a very important person behind the famous "Motown sound". The Motown sound was a special style of music that became very popular. Berry Gordy, who started Motown Records, often called Askey "The glue that kept everything together." This shows how important Gilbert was to the Motown family.
Askey studied music at the Boston Conservatory of Music and the Harnett School of Music in New York. He played his trumpet with many famous jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. He even played a duet with the legendary singer Billie Holiday. Gilbert Askey worked as a musical director for many big stars. A musical director helps plan and lead the music for a performer. He worked with Diana Ross (both with and without The Supremes), the Four Tops, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight, and others.
Askey played jazz trumpet for almost 25 years. Then, he joined Motown Records. There, he worked as a musical director, producer, songwriter, and arranger. An arranger helps decide which instruments play what parts in a song. He worked with artists like Billy Eckstine, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, The Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, and The Funk Brothers. Askey was also part of Motown's Artists Development team. This team helped new artists learn how to perform and act on stage.
When Diana Ross started her solo career, she chose Askey to be her Musical Director. He worked with her for 10 years. He also wrote the music for her first movie, Lady Sings the Blues. This music earned him an Academy Awards nomination in 1972, which is a huge honor! In the 1970s, Askey worked with Curtis Mayfield. He wrote and arranged music for Mayfield's record company. Once, during a show in Belgium with the Four Tops, things got a bit wild. Askey quickly jumped on stage and played his trumpet so amazingly that the audience calmed down. He was also the arranger and conductor for The Supremes when they performed successfully at the Copa nightclub in New York. He helped put their whole show together.
After moving to Australia in 1988, Askey started performing again in 1993. He continued to play music until he passed away from lymphoma in Melbourne on April 9, 2014. In Melbourne, Askey taught and helped young musicians who wanted to learn. He also toured and played many regular jazz shows around Australia until his death.
See also
In Spanish: Gil Askey para niños
