Bill Douglass

Bill Douglass ( born February 28, 1923 in Sherman, Texas, † 19 December 1994 ) was an American jazz drummer who was also active in the local union of musicians.

Life and work

Douglass grew up in Los Angeles and attended the ' McKinley High School, where he met Dexter Gordon; later on the Jefferson High School both were then formed in the band of Lloyd Reese. Military service he completed in 1942 during the Second World War in the Tenth Cavalry band from; partly he was stationed in North Africa and Italy. Then he graduated from the Westlake College of Music. In the next few years he often worked in Hollywood as a studio musician, but played throughout his career with Harry Babasin, Red Callender, Benny Carter, June Christy, Buddy Collette ( Jazz Loves Paris, 1958), Earl Hines, Benny Goodman, Lena Horne, Amos Milburn, Ben Webster / Art Tatum (The Tatum Group Masterpieces ), Kay Starr, Cal Tjader, T-Bone Walker and Gerald Wiggins Trio ( 1956). Finally, he ran a music school Drum City.

Douglass was an early opponent of racial segregation in the Musicians Union American Federation of Musicians. In Los Angeles, he was vice president of the black union Local 767 until its merger with Local 47 in 1953, he actively operating. To the treasurer of the local union Local 47, he was elected in 1985, a position he held until 1991.

The drummer is not to be confused with the bassist.