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Louie Bellson: Home

Bellson at Drumset

Drummer ... Bandleader ... Composer ... Arranger ... Clinician ... Author ... Recording Artist ... Grammy Nominee ... NEA Jazz Master ... An American Legend

1924 - 2009

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RADIO BROADCAST begins July 6 (Bellson's birthday)

Music and audience interviews from the San Jose Memorial Service on the International Christian Network Radio Station conducted by announcer Roy Gray of the ICN inspirational program Jazz, Joy & Roy. (www.roygray.com) These interviews will be aired in two parts Mon & Tue, July 6 & 7, 7:00-12:00 pm pacific time. Click ICN Radio or the radio tower. --> Then click TUNE IN & wait for broadcast to connect. _______________________________________________________________

Click Schedule page for details of upcoming events honoring Bellson including the LOUIE BELLSON MEMORIAL CONCERT at The San Jose Jazz Festival Sat. Aug 8. _________________________________________________________________________

Press coverage of the funerals has been moved to the bottom of the Links page. Read tributes from everybody (incl. you!) on the Guestbook page. (Click here, or on navigation bar).

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Notable Quotes

“Louie Bellson represents the epitome of musical talent. His ability to cover the whole musical spectrum from an elite percussionist to a very gifted composer and arranger never ceases to amaze me. I consider him one of the musical giants of our age.” -- Oscar Peterson

“Not only is Louie Bellson the world’s greatest drummer...he is the world’s greatest musician!” --Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington

“...one of the most phenomenal drummers in history” --Leonard Feather, critic

“To listen and see Louie is to know ‘Man’s love of music.’” -- Pearl Bailey Bellson

“One of the greatest thrills of my musical career was to sing with Louie Bellson, my ‘birthday partner’.” -- Della Reese

“Louie Bellson’s playing, everybody knows, is great, but the important thing is that in a business that is so nuts, we’ve remained friends all these years. That’s the real accomplishment.” -- Buddy Rich

“To me, Louis is just one of the nicest guys I have every known. His playing is absolutely on top – on top of everything! He is just so nice! He’s a sweetheart. Louie Bellson is a beautiful artist.” -- Count Basie

“Louie is a superb artist. There’s so much hyperbole you can use but he’s just one of the top drummers… percussionists in the world. And one other thing about Louie: he is a sweet, nice man. There are no pretensions about Louie, and I like that!” -- Johnny Carson

“When you say ‘working with the tops,’ that’s what it is to me working with Louie. He’s an all-around well-loved musician. To me, he’s just like one of the family.” -- Ella Fitzgerald

“He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Louie’s the kind of musician who, if you tell him something one time, that’s it. He gets it. He’s an excellent, superb musician. -- Sarah Vaughan

“Louie Bellson – the only man I know who, when he plays by himself, sounds like a symphony orchestra.” -- Sammy Davis, Jr.

“There are a lot of great players… a lot of great players around, but Louie Bellson is really something special.” -- “Dizzy” Gillespie

“I feel blessed to have had (him) in my life for so many cherished times … I feel blessed to have (him) deep in my heart.” -- Quincy Jones

“Louie is the best person I ever met.” -- Tony Bennett

And so, the Greats have spoken. What say you?
Let us know by posting a note in the Guestbook.


(Click Guestbook, or link in Destination Panel, above, left.)

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Tips for using this website
Almost all titles, product photos and keywords are clickable links to further info.
Revisit site for updates. Guestbook entries without e-addresses will not be posted.
Don't miss the video clips! Write us what you think of Louie, the site and the new CD.

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Hear sound clips & get Bellson's latest CDs.
(Click an image)

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Bellson Site-Seeing Around the World

Displays, Exhibits, Artifacts

(How many have you visited?)

Davenport, IA

Display at the "River Music Experience Center for American Roots Music," a museum of Blues, Rock-n-roll, Jazz, Gospel, etc. (Grand Opening: 6/04)

Sterling, IL
Exhibit including display of 2003 postal cancellation stamp bearing his name and image. Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society Museum.

Rock Falls, IL
Historical marker installed in front of Bellson’s birth house on 8th Avenue by the Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce. (Street signs direct visitors to site.)

Grand Rapids, MI
Videoclip, performing at the White House for Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt; with Pearl Bailey and Tony Bennett. Pres. Gerald R. Ford Museum.

Norwell, MA
Display of his full double-bass drumset, including limited edition14k gold snare drum that Remo, Inc. issued for Bellson’s 75th birthday in 1999. Also, extensive archival photo display in Wall of Fame. Avedis Zildjian Co.

Davenport, IA
Honoree in display case, aboard the Rhythm City Casino Riverboat. Pier.

San Jose, CA
Honoree in display case, incl. 14k gold snare drum. The Musicians Warehouse.

Moline, IL
Display in Alumni Hall of Honor showcase and star on Walk of Fame. Moline High School (Class of ’42).

Tulsa, OK
Display, 1998 Living Legend Inductee. Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, Greenwood Cultural Center, 322 N. Greenwood Avenue.

Rock Island, IL
Hands & drumstick impression in cement displayed in Arts Alley, downtown.

Hollywood, CA
Hands impression in cement on Hollywood’s RockWalk of Fame.

Berne, Switzerland
The Louie Bellson Suite hotel room decorated with extensive memorabilia. (Other suites honor Milt Hinton, Clark Terry, Lionel Hampton, etc.) Hotel Innere Inge.

Washington, DC
Part of the Duke Ellington Exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute.

New York, NY
Large photo on stairway to upper balcony. The Apollo Theater, Harlem.

(Know of other Bellson displays worthy of note? Write Mrs. B. at bellson@remo.com.)

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