Billy Kyle
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Billy Kyle | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Billy Kyle Photography by William P. Gottlieb | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Osborne Kyle |
| Born | July 14, 1914 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 1966 (aged 51) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1930s–1960s |
William Osborne Kyle (July 14, 1914 – February 23, 1966) was an American jazz pianist.[1] He is perhaps best known as an accompanist.[2]
Kyle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[2] He began playing the piano in school and by the early 1930s worked with Lucky Millinder, Tiny Bradshaw and later the Mills Blue Rhythm Band.[2] In 1938, he joined John Kirby's sextet, but was drafted in 1942.[2] After the war, he worked with Kirby's band briefly and also worked with Sy Oliver.[2] He then spent thirteen years as a member of Louis Armstrong's All-Stars,[2] and performed in the 1956 musical High Society.
A fluent pianist with a light touch, Kyle always worked steadily. He died in Youngstown, Ohio.
Kyle had few opportunities to record as a leader and none during his Armstrong years, some octet and septet sides in 1937, two songs with a quartet in 1939, and outings in 1946 with a trio and an octet.
