Don Shirley

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Donald Walbridge "Don" Shirley (born January 29, 1927 in Pensacola , Florida , † April 6, 2013 in New York City ) was an American pianist and composer who fused jazz and classical music in his music .

Life

Shirley's parents immigrated to the USA from Jamaica , and Kingston , Jamaica is often incorrectly mentioned as his place of birth, also on record covers. This was done on purpose by his record labels so that he would appear "exotic" rather than a "simple black guy from the south". At the same time he was said to have trained at a conservatory in Leningrad in his early childhood. According to his younger brother, he is said to have received an invitation to study with a famous Russian teacher at the age of nine, but his father forbade him to travel to the communist and atheist Soviet Union .

His father Edwin was a priest of the Episcopal Church . At the age of three, Don Shirley played the church organ ; at the age of ten he performed as a concert pianist. At the age of 18 he performed with the Boston Pops and interpreted Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto . He studied music at the Catholic University of America in Washington. Since he was denied a career as a classical concert pianist as a black man , he began to appear in nightclubs, initially in a duo with a bassist and finally in a trio with bass and cello . He combined American and European musical traditions with forms of classical concert music. His arrangements processed standards such as Irving Berlin's Blue Skies , George Shearings Lullaby of Birdland or Richard Rodgers ' This Nearly Was Mine . He interpreted Showtunes from the Great American Songbook as well as Blue title , work songs and spirituals , but to improvise without.

Shirley recorded for Cadence Records in the 1950s and early 1960s ; His well-known LPs include Piano Perspectives, Don Shirley Plays Love Songs, Don Shirley Plays Gershwin and Don Shirley Plays Shirley. Then he moved to Columbia Records . He also played instrumental versions of popular songs such as If I Had a Hammer , Ol 'Man River and Stand By Me on some singles .

Shirley, who was friends with Duke Ellington , wrote for him the Divertimento for Duke by Don, a symphonic work that was premiered in 1974 by the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra of Ontario. His other compositions include a tone poem for Finnegans Wake by James Joyce .

In 1952 he married Jean C. Hill in Cook County , Illinois ; the marriage ended in divorce a few years later. Shirley died on April 6, 2013 at the age of 86 in Manhattan of complications from a heart condition.

Green Book - A Special Friendship (2018)

In 2018 a film drama about Shirley's life was released, entitled Green Book - A Special Friendship , in which he is played by Mahershala Ali . Ali received the Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his performance .

Nick Vallelonga , the film's screenwriter and son of Tony Lip , said the two were friends until they died. In addition, while working on the Green Book , he interviewed Shirley before his death and received instructions from him on what to write and what not to write. He later said, “I think he was on some kind of island. There is no dramatization in the film: he was just to himself, ”Vallelonga said, adding that Shirley didn't even want his own family to be consulted about the film. After the Academy Awards, Nick Vallelonga told the Hollywood Reporter that "he didn't know the Shirley family existed until after the film was finished."

Don's brother Maurice Shirley, however, said, “My brother never saw Tony as a 'friend'; he was an employee, his driver (who was annoyed at wearing uniform and hat). That's why context and nuance are so important. The fact that a successful, wealthy black [sic] artist would hire domestic servants who DON'T looked like him shouldn't be lost in the broadcast. "

Don's brother Maurice and nephew Edwin describe the film as "a symphony of lies," and that Nick Vallelonga discussed the film with Don Shirley about 30 years ago, but who responded completely negatively. Edwin says, “I remember very well, 30 years ago my uncle was approached by Nick Vallelonga, son of Tony Vallelonga, about a film about his life, and Uncle Donald told me about it [...] He flatly refused. And so I then said to him: Perhaps you could define some conditions under which you can be involved if they allow you control in certain things. [And he replied:] No matter what you say to me now, I will have no control over how I am portrayed. ' God knows that 's the reason why he never wanted to show his life on the big screen, now I understand why and I think it's terrible that I wanted to push him in the 1980s to be because everything he refused then, now has come true. "

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Obituary in The New York Times
  2. ↑ Oscars 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Elizabeth Wagmeister, Erin Nyren: 'Green Book' Writer Defends Film After Family Backlash: Don Shirley 'Approved What I Put In' (EXCLUSIVE). In: Variety. January 9, 2019, accessed February 27, 2019 .
  4. ^ Rachel E. Greenspan: How Green Book's Screenwriter Was Inspired to Write the Movie. In: Time . November 15, 2018, accessed February 27, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Elyse Wanshel: 'Green Book' Writer Says He Didn't Know Don Shirley's Family 'Existed' Before Film. In: Huffpost . February 25, 2019, accessed on February 27, 2019 (English): "I didn't even know they really existed until after we were making the film."
  6. ↑ Samara Lynn: Family of Black Man, Don Shirley, Portrayed in "The Green Book" Blasts Movie and Its "Lies". In: Black Enterprise. November 28, 2018, accessed on January 25, 2019 (English): "My brother never considered Tony to be his" friend "; he was an employee, his chauffeur (who resented wearing a uniform and cap). This is why context and nuance are so important. The fact that a successful, well-to-do Black artist would employ domestics that did NOT look like him, should not be lost in translation. "
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1-IZvH4v9k : Family of Green Book's Dr. Donald Shirley speaks out on YouTube , January 29, 2019, accessed February 27, 2019.
  8. ↑ Brooke C. Obie: How 'Green Book' And The Hollywood Machine Swallowed Donald Shirley Whole. In: Shadow And Act. December 14, 2018, accessed on February 27, 2019 (English): "" I remember very, very clearly, going back 30 years, my uncle had been approached by Nick Vallelonga, the son of Tony Vallelonga, about a movie on his life , and Uncle Donald told me about it, ”Edwin said. "He flatly refused." Edwin recalled that he even tried to talk his uncle into considering it. “I remember suggesting to him that it might be a good idea, 'You can be involved [with the making of the film],' and he just flatly said, 'No, absolutely not. I don't want to have any part of that, '”Edwin said, adding:“ And so, I said to him at the time,' Well, perhaps you can set some conditions whereby you can be involved if they agree to certain things in terms of control for you, 'and what he said at the time was,' No matter what they say to me now, I will not have any control over how I am portrayed. '”“ God knows, this is the reason that he never wanted to have his life portrayed on screen, ”Edwin said. "I now understand why, and I feel terrible that I was actually trying to urge him to do this in the 1980s, because everything that he objected to back then has come true now."
personal data
SURNAME Shirley, Don
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Shirley, Donald Walbridge (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pianist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH January 29, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Pensacola , USA
DATE OF DEATH April 6, 2013
Place of death New York City , USA