Bill Challis
William H. Challis (July 8, 1904 – October 4, 1994)[1] was an American jazz arranger, best known for his association with the Paul Whiteman orchestra.
Bill Challis | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William H. Challis |
| Born | July 8, 1904 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 4, 1994 (aged 90) Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments | Piano, saxophone |
Early life
Challis was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He played piano and saxophone and was a bandleader at Bucknell University in the early-1920s.[2][3]
Career
Challis was hired by Jean Goldkette as an arranger in 1926, and moved with Bix Beiderbecke to Paul Whiteman's ensemble in 1927. He wrote scores for Whiteman's full band as well as smaller ensembles drawn from its ranks (such as those led by Frank Trumbauer), and was in part responsible for Beiderbecke's robust representation on Victor Talking Machine Company releases in the late-1920s.[2]
Challis departed from Whiteman's employ in 1930 and did contract arrangements for many major swing-era bands, including the Casa Loma Orchestra, Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey, Lennie Hayton, Fletcher Henderson, Artie Shaw, and Frank Trumbauer. He also arranged for radio broadcasts. Later in his career, he arranged for popular singers and ensembles, including the Casa Loma Orchestra, Bucky Pizzarelli, Glenn Miller, Hoagy Carmichael, the Dorsey Brothers, Coleman Hawkins, and others.
Personal life
Challis died in October 1994, at the age of 90, in Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania.[1]
References
- "Local Music Arranger Had Big Influence On Big Band Era Wilkes-barre's Bill Challis, Who Died Tuesday At Age 90, Created Innovative Musical Arrangements For Some Of The Most Famous Big Bands In The United States". Timesleader.com. 6 October 1994. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
- Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 449. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- "ARRANGER RE-CREATING HIS QUIET MARK ON MUSIC". The Morning Call. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
Bibliography
- Dan Morgenstern, "Bill Challis". The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2nd edition, ed. Barry Kernfeld.