Duke Ellington called him "the
world's greatest drummer," and that he was...member of the "BIG
THREE":
Louie Bellson - Gene Krupa - Buddy Rich.

He
was a composer, arranger, bandleader, tireless jazz educator,
pioneered the use of two bass drums, and in terms of the speed of his
hands and feet and the wonderful, percussive "ideas" he
conveys on the drums, stands next to only Buddy Rich as the total
technician.

Referred to by Leonard Feather as "one of the
most phenomenal drummers in history," Louie Bellson has
expressed himself on the drums since he was three years old. At 15,
he pioneered the double-bass-drum set-up. His detailed sketch earned
him an 'A' in his high school art class. At 17, he triumphed over
40,000 drummers to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa
contest.

As an internationally-acclaimed artist, he has
performed in most of the major capitals around the world. With the
exception of Bob Hope, who has made the most White House appearances,
Bellson holds, along with his late wife Pearl Bailey, the second
highest number of White House appearances.

He has performed
and/or recorded scores of albums (approximately 200) as a leader,
co-leader or sideman with such greats as Duke Ellington, Count Basie,
Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Woody Herman, Norman Granz'
J.A.T.P., Benny Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar
Peterson, Art Tatum, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Hank
Jones, Zoot Sims, Sonny Stitt, Milt Jackson, Clark Terry, Louie
Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Shelly
Manne, Billy Cobham, James Brown, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tony Bennett,
Pearl Bailey, Mel Torme, Joe Williams and Wayne Newton.

Over
the years, Louie has taken several bandleader's holidays to play
under the direction of other leaders or to lead someone else's band.
During the '60s, he rejoined Ellington for his Emancipation
Proclamation Centennial stage production, "My People", the
motion picture soundtrack of "Assault on a Queen," and for
what Ellington called "the most important thing I have ever
done"—his Concerts of Sacred Music. In 1966, Louie toured
briefly with both Basie and ex-boss Harry James. A few years later,
Buddy Rich paid Louie the supreme drummer-to-drummer/bandleader
compliment. Rich asked Bellson to lead his (Buddy's) band on tour
while he was temporarily disabled by a back injury. Louie proudly
accepted.

In 1942, he performed with the Benny Goodman band
and Peggy Lee in "The Power Girl", the first of his many
film appearances. Louie was 24 and a veteran of a U. S. Army band
when he joined Danny Kaye, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Lionel
Hampton, Charlie Barnett, Benny Carter, Mel Powell, Kenny Dorharn,
Harry Babasin, Al Hendrickson, Buck Washington, and Goodman for
Howard Hawks' "A Song Is Born," still a recurring treat on
TV's late, late shows.

As a prolific creator of music, both
written and improvised, his compositions and arrangements (in the
hundreds) embrace jazz, jazz/rock/fusion, romantic orchestral suites,
symphonic works and a ballet. Little known to many of his listeners,
the versatile Mr. Bellson is also a poet and a lyricist.

As an
author, he has published more than a dozen books on drums and
percussion. He is currently at work with his biographer on a book
chronicling his remarkable career and bearing the same name as one of
his compositions—"Skin Deep".

Bellson's numerous
accolades are legion. He has been voted into the Halls of Fame for
both Modern Drummer magazine and the Percussive Arts Society. Yale
University named him a Duke Ellington Fellow in 1977. He received an
honorary Doctorate from Northern Illinois University in 1985. He
performed his original concert, Tomus I, II, III with the Washington
Civic Symphony in historic Constitution Hall in 1993. He received the
prestigious American Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment
for the Arts in 1994. Additionally, Louie Bellson is a four-time
Grammy Award nominee.

In addition, The London Suite (recorded
in his album, Louie in London) was performed at the Hollywood
Pilgrimage Bowl before a record-breaking audience. The three-part
work includes a choral section in which a 12-voice choir sings
exquisitely sensitive lyrics by Bellson. Part One is the band's
rousing Carnaby Street, a collaboration with Jack Hayes.

Bellson
has led his own orchestra almost steadily for more than forty years.
In his present Big Band Explosion, there is zest, humor, fervor and
exultation. Everybody is having a good time, as well they should,
inspired by their drummer-leader. One of his former employers
understands. The distinguished Duke Ellington said, "Louie
Bellson has all the requirements for perfection in his craft. He is
the world's greatest drummer."

Bellson received his
Doctor of Humane Letters in 1985 at Northern Illinois University. In
1987, at the Percussive Arts Society convention in Washington, D. C.,
Bellson and Harold Farberman performed a major orchestral work
titled, Concerto for Jazz Drummer and Full Orchestra, the first piece
ever written specifically for jazz drummer and full symphony
orchestra. This work was recorded by the Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra in England, and was released by the Swedish label, B. I.
S.

Bellson has been voted into the Halls of Fame for both
Modern Drummer magazine and the Percussive Arts Society. In June1993,
he performed Tomus I, II, III with the Washington CivicSymphony in
historic Constitution Hall. A combination of fullsymphony orchestra,
big-band ensemble and 80-voice choir,Tomus had been a collaboration
of music by Bellson and lyricsby his late wife, Pearl Bailey.

In
January 1994, Bellson received the prestigious American Jazz Masters
Award from the national Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. As
one of three recipients, Bellson was lauded by NEA chair Jane
Alexander who said, "These colossal talents have helped write
the history of jazz in America."

Louie passed away in
peace on Feb 14, 2009.