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Williams, Gene (Band director)

LC control no.no2019002358
Descriptive conventionsrda
Personal name headingWilliams, Gene (Band director)
    Browse this term in  LC Authorities  or the  LC Catalog
Variant(s)Williams, Eugene (Band director)
Place of birthUnited States
Field of activityMusic Popular music Dance music
Profession or occupationBand directors Singers
Special noteFormerly on undifferentiated name record: n 78031056
Found inClaude Thornhill ... 1977: labels (Gene Williams, vocalist)
Claude Thornhill & his orchestra, 1996: insert (Claude Thornhill & his orchestra; vocals by Fran Warren & Gene Williams; Gene Williams joined Sam Fletcher and his Duke Ambassadors in 1942 at age 16 as a singer; later sang with Claude Thornhill's band for 18 months, then formed own band featuring Stan Getz, which broke up in late 1951)
allmusic.com, 20 December 2018 (Gene Williams; born in the USA; throughout 1940s worked with many dance bands; two-year stint in army; worked with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, mainly as vocalist; formed his own dance band in New York City in 1949, known first as the Gene Williams And The Junior Thornhill Band, and then the Gene Williams Orchestra; jukebox hit "Just Goofin''; disbanded around 1952)
Revolvy, via WWW, January 4, 2018 (Gene Williams (musician); Eugene "Gene" Williams was an American jazz vocalist and bandleader; Williams began his career in 1942 as a member of the Duke Ambassadors under Sammy Fletcher, then worked in Johnny Long's orchestra while serving in the United States Army; after the war he sang with Vincent Lopez and worked with Les Elgart, George Paxton, and Bobby Sherwood; he also sang on the recording "Sorta Kinda" made by the Claude Thornhill Orchestra in 1947; he founded his own band, Gene Williams and the Junior Thornhill Band, in New York City in 1949; he later simplified the name to the Gene Williams Orchestra; his sidemen included Stan Getz, Teddy Napoleon, and Mel Zelnick, and featured singers included Adele Castle. Gil Evans, Chico O'Farrill, Hubie Wheeler, and Joe Reisman all arranged for this ensemble; the group played college campuses and took an engagement at the Glen Island casino in 1952, also recording for Mercury Records)
Not found inInternat'l ww of music, 1985, 1980, and 1976; Baker's biog. dict. of musicians, 1984; Biographical dict. of jazz, 1982.