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Lester Young(1909-1959)

  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Lester Young
Lester Young was one of the most important saxophone players in jazz. He got a fine and soft tone with his horn, and it became very famous in the late 1930s. He played in the Count Basie orchestra and recorded with Basie his first recordings in 1936. He was a close friend of singer Billie Holiday and recorded many songs with her and Teddy Wilson for Columbia Records. He quit the Basie band in 1940 and started his freelance career.

In 1944 he went into the army and this point in his life was dramatic; racial problems were rife and endemic in the army at that time, and Young wound up getting arrested. After this, he started to drink and his appearances in the stand wasn't as good as the times with Basie and Holiday. Nevertheless, he made fine recordings in the late 1940s on Alladin Records--for example, the famous "D.B Blues" and "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid". He signed a contract with Verve Records in the 1950s. His last recording was on March 4, 1959, in Paris. After this trip to Paris, he arrived on March 14 in New York and died the day after, of a complication of cirrhosis.
BornAugust 27, 1909
DiedMarch 15, 1959(49)
BornAugust 27, 1909
DiedMarch 15, 1959(49)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos1

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Known for

Kristen Stewart in Sur la route (2012)
Sur la route
6.0
  • Soundtrack("A Sailboat In The Moonlight")
  • 2012
Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Driver in Paterson (2016)
Paterson
7.3
  • Soundtrack("Blue Lester")
  • 2016
Paul Giamatti in American Splendor (2003)
American Splendor
7.4
  • Soundtrack("On the Sunny Side of the Street")
  • 2003
Woody Allen, Christina Ricci, and Jason Biggs in La vie et tout le reste (2003)
La vie et tout le reste
6.3
  • Soundtrack("I Can't Get Started", "There Will Never Be Another You")
  • 2003

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor



  • Improvisation (1950)
    Improvisation
    6.6
    Short
    • 1950
  • Policy Man (1938)
    Policy Man
    6.4
    • 1938

Soundtrack



  • Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes (2018)
    Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
    7.3
    • performer: "Somethin' Else"
    • 2018
  • Golshifteh Farahani and Adam Driver in Paterson (2016)
    Paterson
    7.3
    • performer: "Blue Lester"
    • writer: "Blue Lester"
    • 2016
  • Café Society (2016)
    Café Society
    6.6
    • writer: "Taxi War Dance"
    • 2016
  • Grant Gustin in Flash (2014)
    Flash
    7.5
    TV Series
    • performer: "This Year's Kisses" (uncredited)
    • 2016
  • Sylvester Stallone, Tom Berenger, Kelsey Grammer, Kyra Sedgwick, Thomas Jane, Kevin Connolly, Omari Hardwick, and Lauren Cohan in Bad Luck (2014)
    Bad Luck
    4.9
    • writer: "Basie English"
    • 2014
  • Le Paradis (2014)
    Le Paradis
    6.2
    • performer: "Stardust"
    • 2014
  • Kristen Stewart in Sur la route (2012)
    Sur la route
    6.0
    • performer: "A Sailboat In The Moonlight"
    • 2012
  • Aperture: A Triumph of Science (2011)
    Aperture: A Triumph of Science
    8.4
    Short
    • Soundtrack ("Blues for Greasy")
    • 2011
  • Jonny Lee Miller in Eli Stone (2008)
    Eli Stone
    7.7
    TV Series
    • performer: "That's All" (uncredited)
    • 2008
  • The Wrecking Crew! (2008)
    The Wrecking Crew!
    7.7
    • writer: "Lester Leaps In"
    • 2008
  • Thomas Turgoose and Piotr Jagiello in Somers Town (2008)
    Somers Town
    6.8
    • performer: "Barefootin' Time in China Town"
    • 2008
  • The War (2007)
    The War
    9.0
    TV Mini Series
    • writer: "Taxi War Dance"
    • 2007
  • Independent Lens (1999)
    Independent Lens
    8.1
    TV Series
    • writer: "Dicky's Dream"
    • 2005
  • The Blues (2003)
    The Blues
    8.0
    TV Mini Series
    • writer: "Jumpin' With Symphony Sid"
    • 2003
  • Woody Allen, Christina Ricci, and Jason Biggs in La vie et tout le reste (2003)
    La vie et tout le reste
    6.3
    • performer: "I Can't Get Started", "There Will Never Be Another You"
    • 2003

Personal details

Edit
  • Born
    • August 27, 1909
    • Woodville, Mississippi, USA
  • Died
    • March 15, 1959
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Spouses
      Mary Berkely 1947 - ? (2 children)
  • Children
      Lester, Jr
  • Parents
      Lizetta Johnson Young
  • Relatives
    • Lee Young(Sibling)
  • Other works
    CD (boxed set): "The Lester Young Story"

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Brother of jazz drummer Lee Young.
  • Nicknames
    • Prez
    • Pres

FAQ

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Lester Young die?
    March 15, 1959
  • How old was Lester Young when he died?
    49 years old
  • Where did Lester Young die?
    New York City, New York, USA
  • When was Lester Young born?
    August 27, 1909
  • Where was Lester Young born?
    Woodville, Mississippi, USA

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