In 1950, Billy Eckstine was one of the most popular singers in America. Movie-star handsome with an elegant pencil-thin mustache and a wide vibrato, Eckstine, the man known simply as "Mr. B.," possessed one of the most magnificent voices in popular music history. Born in Pittsburgh, Eckstine won a talent contest by imitating Cab Calloway and started leading jazz orchestras, calling himself Baron Billy. In 1939, he joined Earl Hines' orchestra, composing and performing the hits "Jelly, Jelly" and "Stormy Monday Blues." In 1944, he formed an orchestra that included, during its brief three-year run, the greatest stars in bebop, including Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Sarah Vaughan. Signing with MGM, he rose to superstar status, sold millions of records, marketed his own line of "Mr. B." shirt collars, and inspired an army of female admirers, known as "Billy Soxers."
Eckstine fought all his life for recognition and respect in his quest to become America's first black romantic singing idol, but he faced hardships in the segregated music world of the '40s and '50s. Despite this, he went on to influence many singers who followed, including Arthur Prysock, Johnny Hartman, Johnny Mathis, Kevin Mahogany, Barry White, and even Elvis Presley. Mr. B examines the life of one of the twentieth century's most amazing success stories, from his early days in Pittsburgh to his time in Las Vegas.
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Information
Subtopic
Music BiographiesTable of contents
- Contents
- Foreword: Being Mr. B
- Introduction
- 1. Smoketown
- 2. Baron Billy
- 3. Club DeLisa
- 4. On the Glory Road
- 5. Jelly, Jelly
- 6. Rising Star
- 7. Dizzy and Bird
- 8. Sassy
- 9. The Incubator
- 10. The Sepia Sinatra
- 11. Anything to Make It Swing
- 12. All I Sing Is Blues
- 13. The Vibrato
- 14. The Bronze Balladeer
- 15. Mr. B. Goes to Hollywood
- 16. Recording to Beat the Ban
- 17. The Be-Bop King of Sweden
- 18. Pandemonium at the Paramount
- 19. The Snap of a Shutter
- 20. The Million Dollar Man
- 21. The Empire of the Sonorous Mr. B.
- 22. “Billy Needs a Record”
- 23. “Is Billy Eckstine Through?”
- 24. Comeback at the Copa
- 25. New Frontiers
- 26. Project Mercury
- 27. The Sound of Young America
- 28. Senior Soul
- 29. Struggling in the Seventies
- 30. September Song
- Acknowledgments
- Sources
- Photos
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Mr B by Cary Ginell in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Music Biographies. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.