Bill Evans Birthday & Fun Facts

Bill Evans Birthday Highlights

Birth Name

William John Evans

Place Of Birth

New Jersey, USA

Age

94 years old

Birth Date

August 15 1929

Bill Evans Facts

Child Star?

no

Occupation

Musician, Composer, Arranger

Education & Qualifications

Southeastern Louisiana University

Net Worth

$10,000,000

Current Partner

Nenette Zazzara

Children

Evan, Maxine

Parents

Harry, Mary Evans

Siblings

Harold

August 16 honors the birthday of one of the most influential jazz pianists in history, Bill Evans.

Bill Evans was an American jazz piano player and composer. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of music, thanks to his lyrical playing style and innovative compositions.

Evans was born in New Jersey and started playing the piano at a very young age. He quickly rose to fame and became known for his unique style and improvisational skills. He played with Miles Davis on 'Kind Of Blue', which is widely considered to be a really important album in jazz history.

Evans was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1929 and passed away in 1980. Evans created 'From Left To Right' between 1969 and 1970, which featured his first usage of an electric piano. Bill Evans died from multiple health issues at the age of 51 in 1980. His wife Nenette and son Evan survive him.

What was Bill Evans’ net worth?

Bill Evans’ net worth was $10 million at the time of his death in 1980.

He died in 1980 at the age of 51, but his legacy lives on through his music and contributions to jazz history.

How tall was Bill Evans?

Bill Evans was about 6 ft (183 cm) tall.

How old was Bill Evans?

He was 51 years old at the time of his death on September 15, 1980.

Bill Evans was born in the city of Plainfield in New Jersey. He grew up with his mother and brother in a middle-class home where they lived most of their lives.

His father ran a golf course, but his mother took Bill and Harold away from him when they were little, so he took care of himself while learning musical instruments with his brother. He began playing piano at age four and started taking lessons from his mother until she passed away. After his mother's passing, Bill studied with Lennie Tristano.

He attended public school until eighth grade before dropping out to pursue music as a career path. He played piano professionally for seven years before making his first record with the New York Jazz Quintet in 1956.

He was classically schooled at Southeastern Louisiana University as well as the Mannes School of Music in New York City, wherein he majored in composition and got the Artist Diploma.

Evans returned to New York in July 1955 and enrolled in a three-semester postgraduate study in music composition at the Mannes College of Music.

Who was Bill Evans’ partner?

Bill Evans was married to Nenette in 1961, and together, they had a son named Evan. They remained together until Evans' death in 1980 due to severe health issues.

Best Known For…

Bill Evans is best known for his unique style of playing lyrical and varying compositions. He played with Miles Davis on 'Kind Of Blue'. The album has a special place in the history of jazz music. Evans recorded over 200 albums and won three Grammy Awards.

He took a year off in 1954 to live with his folks, where he built up a studio, bought a grand piano, and focused on his technique, claiming that he lost the natural fluidity of other musicians.

In 1955, he relocated to New York City, wherein he collaborated with George Russell, a bandleader and theorist.

Scott LaFaro expressed interest in forming a trio with Paul Motian in mid-1959. 'Portrait In Jazz', the band's first album, was released by Riverside Records in December 1959. The trio went on to perform in San Francisco, Chicago clubs, and Boston, among other cities.

Evans' debut album (with the New York Jazz Quintet) was released in 1956 and became his most successful album ever made, selling over one million copies worldwide by 1962.

'I Will Say Goodbye', Evans' final Fantasy Records album, as well as, 'You Must Believe in Spring' (released by Warner Bros.) both hinted at developments that would become major in Evans' later years. Evans made 'Conversations With Myself', another of his solo albums made possible through overdubbing, in 1963.

Charity Work

Bill Evans was a very charitable person and contributed to many different causes throughout his life. After he moved to California, he started the Bill Evans Scholarship Fund which helped young musicians attend college.

In 1979, a few months before he died, he established the Bill Evans Jazz Foundation which aimed to further jazz program education and preserve Evans' legacy.

What awards did Bill Evans win?

Evans recorded his final studio album, 'We Will Meet Again', in August 1979, which featured a tune composed for his brother with the same name. In 1981, the record, together with 'I Will Say Goodbye', received a Grammy award posthumously.

Evans won three Grammy Awards during his career for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance (soloist or group) in 1966, 1967, and 1978. He is also considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of jazz.

Bill Evans’ Hobbies And Interests

Bill Evans was a voracious reader, with a preference for philosophical and comic works. He was particularly fond of Thomas Hardy's work, as well as Eastern religions and ideologies such as Islam, Zen, and Buddhism.

Bill Evans played the piano from an early age. He was also a fan of reading and enjoyed playing chess and writing poetry.

Evans enjoyed painting and drawing. He was also an accomplished golfer, having learned the game on his father's property. Evans was a big fan of horse racing and also used to participate in horse bidding.

• He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the music world.
• Evans started playing piano at age four and took lessons from his mother until she passed away when he was quite young.
• Bill Evans was the first jazz musician to be featured on the cover of Time magazine.
• He is considered one of the most important figures in jazz music history.
• He received 17 Grammy award nominations during his career but only won three of them: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance (soloist or group) in 1966, 1967, and 1978.
• He acquired a racehorse named Annie Hall alongside producer Jack Rollins during his final years.
• He died on September 15, 1980, at the age of 51 after a long battle with various health issues.

We would love your help! If you have a photo of Bill Evans, either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected].
If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.