Bill King
Bill King | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Morgan King Jr. |
| Born | June 22, 1946 Jeffersonville, Indiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, blues, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, musical director, composer, producer, broadcaster, photographer, executive director |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
| Associated acts | Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, The Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Liberty Silver, Rhythm Express |
William Morgan King Jr. (born June 22, 1946) is an American-born Canadian pianist, composer, record producer, musical director, broadcaster, photographer, and festival curator. He is best known for serving as musical director for artists such as Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, and The Pointer Sisters, founding Toronto’s Beaches International Jazz Festival, and leading programming at the Redwood Theatre.
Early life
Bill King was born on June 22, 1946, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He was a scholarship student at the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto in the summer of 1963, where he studied under legendary pianist Oscar Peterson. King also attended the Louisville Academy of Music, studying jazz with pianist Don Murray. He furthered his education with renowned jazz educator Jamey Aebersold, focusing on improvisation and jazz theory. These formative years provided him with a strong foundation in both classical and jazz music, influencing his later work as a pianist, composer, and musical director.[1]
Career
Musical direction and performance
Throughout his career, King has served as musical director for artists including Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, Martha Reeves, The Pointer Sisters, and Craig Russell.[2]
He has also performed with notable artists such as Chaka Khan, Jackie Richardson, Liberty Silver, and Sophie Milman. He has served as bandleader for the Saturday Nite Fish Fry, the Bill King Trio, and Rhythm Express.[3]
King secured a record deal with producers Jack Richardson and Bob Ezrin, releasing *Every Living Thing* by Homestead in 1970.[4]
King has been nominated for three Juno Awards and won the Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year with his band Rockit 88.[5] He also won two Producer and Photographer of the Year awards from the National Jazz Awards and was nominated for International Jazz Journalist of the Year.[6]
Instructor at Harris Institute
In addition to his career as a performer and producer, Bill King has taught at the Harris Institute in Toronto, where he has shared his knowledge of music production and performance with aspiring musicians. His role as an instructor has allowed him to pass on valuable industry insights and techniques to the next generation of musicians.[4]
Recording and labels
King released his debut album Goodbye Superdad in 1969 on Capitol Records, followed by Dixie Peach in 1970. In 1984, he founded the Night Passage label, and in 1992 co-founded Radioland Records with Greg Sutherland.[1]
His discography includes:
- Magnolia Nights (1993)
- Mondo Jumbo (2007)
- Night Passage (2010)
- The Color of Heaven (2019)
Broadcasting and journalism
In the 1980s, King began a radio career with Q107, then created and hosted The Jazz Report on CIUT-FM, which evolved into a national jazz radio network (1989–1991).[1] He later hosted Jazz Preview on JAZZ.FM91 for over four years. King currently co-hosts The Bill & Jesse King Show on CIUT-FM alongside his son Jesse King (a.k.a. Dubmatix).[7]
King was publisher of Jazz Report Magazine from 1988 to 2006. In 1988, he co-founded the Beaches International Jazz Festival and served as its artistic director for 30 years.[8]
Executive director, Redwood Theatre
In 2023, King was appointed Executive Director of the Redwood Theatre, a historic Toronto vaudeville, built in 1914. Under his leadership, the venue expanded its programming to include jazz concerts, film screenings, variety shows, and community arts events.[9]
Festival leadership
King co-founded the Beaches International Jazz Festival in 1988 and has served as its artistic director since its inception.[10][11]
Photography
King is an award-winning street and performance photographer. His work has appeared in publications such as DownBeat, The Globe and Mail, and Toronto Star, and has been exhibited at the Contact Photography Festival.[3]
Awards and recognition
- Juno Award nominee – Best Jazz Recording for Avenue B (1985)[3]
- National Jazz Award: Producer of the Year (2003, 2004)[3]
- National Jazz Award: Jazz Photographer of the Year (2007)[3]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Bill King". Canadian Jazz Archive Online. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ↑ "Bill King". Canadian Jazz Archive Online. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
By 1968, King had moved from Greenwich Village to Los Angeles to become Linda Ronstadt’s Music Director and Pianist.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Bill King". All About Jazz. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Artist Series Instructor: Bill King (App · AMP1 Artist Series Outline 2020)" (PDF). Harris Institute. 2020. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
King arrived in Canada in 1969 and scored a record deal with legendary producers Jack Richardson and Bob Ezrin and released *Every Living Thing* by Homestead.
- ↑ "2003 Maple Blues Awards – Winners and Nominees". Toronto Blues Society. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
New Artist of the Year: Rockit 88 Band
- ↑ "Bill King – Canadian Jazz Archive Online". Canadian Jazz Archive Online. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
2003 – National Jazz Awards Winner as ‘Producer of the Year’; 2007 – National Jazz Awards Winner of ‘The Paul Hoeffler Award for Jazz Photography’
- ↑ "The Bill and Jesse King Show". CIUT 89.5 FM. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ↑ "Bill King". Canadian Jazz Archive Online. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
Bill King has also been a driving force in the success of the Beaches International Jazz Festival in Toronto, serving as the festival’s Artistic Director since its inception in 1988.
- ↑ "Redwood Theatre celebrates 110th anniversary". CityNews Toronto. 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
The video features Bill King speaking about the Redwood Theatre’s legacy and his role as Artistic Director.
- ↑ "Beaches International Jazz Festival at Twenty Five!". Bill King Music. 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ↑ "Beaches International Jazz Festival Celebrates Year 30". Billboard Canada. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
He was a two-time winner of the National Jazz Award for Producer of the Year (2003, 2004) and Jazz Photographer of the Year (2007).
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