George Williams(1917-1988)
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Composer, conductor, pianist, songwriter and arranger, raised in
Oakland, California since the age of four months. He studied at Chico
State College in northern California and learned to play nearly every
instrument. He was a professional baseball player for a time (second
base with the Oakland Acorns), and then a pianist in area nightclubs
followed by an over-the-road stint as a pianist with the Merle Howard
orchestra. Back in Los Angeles, he joined the Bob Astor band in 1939
and from there connected with Jimmie Lunceford (a friend of Astor's)
for whose orchestra he began to write arrangements and tunes. In spring
of 1940 he quit that job to build the entire library for the Lionel
Hampton band. Later he joined the Sonny Dunham band as pianist, and
from there he worked his way east to assume a nine-month job as
arranger for the Glenn Miller band until World War II caused its
dissolution. He served in the Maritime Service between 1943 and 1946,
and resumed his civilian musical career as an arranger for a number of
name bands, including those of Gene Krupa, Ray Anthony (1951-1953),
Harry James, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Ventura, and Vaughn Monroe before
branching out as a recording bandleader.