Benny Payne

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Benjamin E. "Benny" Payne (also Bennie Payne , born June 18, 1907 in Philadelphia , † January 2, 1986 in Los Angeles ) was an American jazz pianist , singer and arranger .

Live and act

Payne learned to play the piano at the age of twelve and worked as a church organist in Philadelphia as a teenager. He began his career in 1926 and played for Wilbur Sweatman in 1928 . Fats Waller , who was also his mentor, recorded with him in 1930 as a piano duo (including " St. Louis Blues " / " After You've Gone ", Victor 22371). From 1929 to 1931 he worked in touring shows (including with Blackbirds of 1929 in Europe) and accompanied Elisabeth Welch and Gladys Bentley . In 1930/31 he was a singer in the Duke Ellington Orchestra , with whom there were also recordings ("Wang Wang Blues", " Rockin 'Chair "). From 1931 to 1943 he worked as a musician and arranger at Cab Calloway and also took part in its music films, such as Cab Calloway's Jitterbug Party and The Singing Kid . He then did military service in the Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis; after his discharge from the army he played again until 1946 with Calloway. In 1944 he had his own trio in New York, with Everett Barksdale and Joe Benjamin , who accompanied the blues singer Basil Spears for a session organized by Joe Davis .

In his later years he worked a. a. with Pearl Bailey and also as musical director with singer Billy Daniels . In the field of jazz he was involved in 103 recording sessions between 1930 and 1957. In the 1950s, he was one of the first African American entertainers to appear on national television. In 1953 he had an appearance in Richard Quine's film Cruisin 'Down the River . From 1955 he lived in Los Angeles, where his only album was created under his own name. In 1964, Payne made a guest appearance on Broadway in a remake of Golden Boy with Daniels and Sammy Davis, Jr .; shortly afterwards he retired from the music business.

Payne was married to the dancer Ethel Moses.

Discographic notes

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Jump up ↑ Bruce Bastin, The Melody Man: Joe Davis and the New York Music Scene, 1916-1978 . 2012.
  2. ↑ Tom Lord : The Jazz Discography (online, accessed November 21, 2014)
personal data
SURNAME Payne, Benny
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Payne, Benjamin E.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American jazz musician
DATE OF BIRTH June 18, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia
DATE OF DEATH 2nd January 1986
Place of death los Angeles