Lake View East in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Billy Strayhorn

The Legacy Walk

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 26, 2021

1. Billy Strayhorn Marker

Inscription.

Billy Strayhorn. The Legacy Walk. Billy Strayhorn Gay U.S. Composer, Arranger and Pianist (1915 - 1967) . , “If you want something hard enough, it just gets done.”, - Billy Strayhorn, Billy Strayhorn studied music at the Pittsburgh Music Institute. While still a teenager he wrote both the music and the poignant lyrics for his classic “Lush-Life,” one of the most musically sophisticated Jazz standards ever recorded. Strayhorn, a gifted arranger, composer and pianist met Duke Ellington in December 1938 and served as his collaborator for the next twenty-eight years. Strayhorn's arrangements had a tremendous impact on the Ellington band, bringing a linear, classically schooled sound to Ellington’s works. Though Duke Ellington received credit for much of Strayhorn’s work – understandable given his established fame and skill – it was Strayhorn who composed the band's best known theme, "Take the ‘A’ Train", as well as a number of other pieces including "Lotus Blossom", "Chelsea Bridge", "Rain Check", "Day Dream" and "Something to Live For." Collectively, Strayhorn’s work is among the most renowned and distinctive of the 1940s and 50s Big Band Era. He participated in the Civil Rights Movement and was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Strayhorn was openly gay during an extremely homophobic time. Contemporary critics agree that his unapologetic openness about being gay contributed to him being perhaps purposefully overlooked as an important musician in his own right for so many years. He succumbed to esophageal cancer on May 31, 1967, with his partner, Bill Grove, at his side. He remained in Ellington’s shadow until his acclaimed biography, Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, was published in 1996, followed by the award-winning documentary it inspired – “Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life” (2007). His legacy lives on through new generations of aspiring musicians who discover that his genius has only deepened with the passage of time.

Billy Strayhorn
Gay U.S. Composer, Arranger and Pianist
(1915 - 1967)

“If you want something hard enough, it just gets done.”

- Billy Strayhorn

Billy Strayhorn studied music at the Pittsburgh Music Institute. While still a teenager he wrote both the music and the poignant lyrics for his classic “Lush-Life,” one of the most musically sophisticated Jazz standards ever recorded. Strayhorn, a gifted arranger, composer and pianist met Duke Ellington in December 1938 and served as his collaborator for the next twenty-eight years. Strayhorn's arrangements had a tremendous impact on the Ellington band, bringing a linear, classically schooled sound to Ellington’s works. Though Duke Ellington received credit for much of Strayhorn’s work – understandable given his established fame and skill – it was Strayhorn who composed the band's best known theme, "Take the ‘A’ Train", as well as a number of other pieces including "Lotus Blossom", "Chelsea Bridge", "Rain Check", "Day Dream" and "Something to Live For." Collectively, Strayhorn’s work is among the most renowned and distinctive of the 1940s and 50s Big Band Era. He participated in the Civil Rights Movement and was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Strayhorn was openly

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gay during an extremely homophobic time. Contemporary critics agree that his unapologetic openness about being gay contributed to him being perhaps purposefully overlooked as an important musician in his own right for so many years. He succumbed to esophageal cancer on May 31, 1967, with his partner, Bill Grove, at his side. He remained in Ellington’s shadow until his acclaimed biography, Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, was published in 1996, followed by the award-winning documentary it inspired – “Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life” (2007). His legacy lives on through new generations of aspiring musicians who discover that his genius has only deepened with the passage of time.

Erected 2015 by The Legacy Project.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the The Legacy Walk series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 31, 1967.

Location. 41° 56.652′ N, 87° 38.959′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Lake View East. Marker is on North Halsted Street north of Roscoe Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3411 North Halsted Street, Chicago IL 60657, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Vito Russo (here, next to this marker);

Billy Strayhorn Marker - wide view, looking north image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, August 26, 2021

2. Billy Strayhorn Marker - wide view, looking north

The marker is visible here mounted to the rainbow pylon that it shares with the marker for Vito Russo.

Pauli Murray (a few steps from this marker); The Legacy of Matthew Shepard (a few steps from this marker); Frank Kameny (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sgt. Leonard Matlovich (about 300 feet away); Stonewall (about 300 feet away); Harvey Milk (about 300 feet away); Alan Mathison Turing (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

Also see . . .
1. BILLY STRAYHORN sings and plays LUSH LIFE! (YouTube, 3.5 min., audio only). "IN PERSON! The one and only BILLY STRAYHORN himself sings and plays his own masterpiece "Lush Life" - live performance 1964"

I used to visit all the very gay places
Those come-what-may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of
The Wheel of Life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails...

(Submitted on November 10, 2021.)

2. Billy Strayhorn (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: "William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated

3. Marker inset: Billy Strayhorn
with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the 'A' Train", "Chelsea Bridge", "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing", and "Lush Life"."

(Submitted on November 10, 2021.)

Additional keywords. lgbt lgbtq

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 10, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 146 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 10, 2021, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.