Bobbe Gorin "Beegie" Adair ( Long, December 11, 1937 – January 23, 2022) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader, whose career spanned more than 60 years.

Early life

Bobbe Gorin Long was born in Cave City, Kentucky, on December 11, 1937. Her parents, Bobbe (Martin) Long and Arthur Long, owned a gas station. Adair began playing the piano at the age of five. She graduated from

Caverna High School Caverna High School is a small public high school located in Horse Cave, Kentucky, United States. Built in 1950, the school is operated by the Caverna Independent Schools, one of only a handful of school districts in Kentucky that are known to op ...

in 1954. Adair earned a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as primary education, elementary or secondary education, secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a rese ...

Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University (WKU) is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. It was founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a few decades earlier. It operates regional campuses in Glas ...

in 1958. Adair worked as a children's music teacher for three years before relocating to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, in 1961.

Career

In 1961, Adair moved to Nashville, where she played in

Printer's Alley Printer's Alley is a famous alley in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., between Third and Fourth Avenues, running from Union Street to Commerce Street. The portion of the alley between Union and Church Street is the home of a nightclub distric ...

and became a member of a jazz band led by

Hank Garland Walter Louis Garland (November 11, 1930 – December 27, 2004), known professionally as Hank Garland, was an American guitarist and songwriter. He started as a country musician, played rock and roll as it became popular in the 1950s, and release ...

. Over the course of her career, Adair accompanied a wide range of performers, including

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

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Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Cass Elliot, was an American singer. She was also known as "Mama Cass", a name she reportedly disliked. Elliot was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the P ...

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and

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

. She played at various times for the ''Noon Show'' on

WSM-TV WSMV-TV (channel 4) is a television station in Nashville, Tennessee, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Media alongside low-power Telemundo affiliate WTNX-LD (channel 29). The two stations share studios on Knob Road in wes ...

and on ''

The Johnny Cash Show ''The Johnny Cash Show'' is an American television music variety show that was hosted by Johnny Cash. The Screen Gems 58-episode series ran from June 7, 1969, to March 31, 1971, on American Broadcasting Company, ABC; it was taped at the Ryman A ...

'' and other programs. She partnered with Denis Solee in 1982 to establish the Adair–Solee Quartet, which became the sextet Be-Bop Co-Op. Adair released her first solo album in her name with ''Escape to New York'' (1998). She formed the Beegie Adair Trio, which has sold more than 1.5 million albums. Adair appeared on more than 100 recordings throughout her 60-year career. Of these, 35 were recorded by her eponymous trio which included Adair, bassist Roger Spencer and percussionist Chris Brown. Among Adair's influences were

George Shearing Sir George Albert Shearing (13 August 191914 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. Shearing was the composer of over 300 so ...

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer. As a virtuoso who is considered to be one of the greatest Jazz piano, jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordin ...

, and

Erroll Garner Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad "Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...

. In 2002, Adair released a six-CD centennial collection, ''The Great American Songbook Collection,'' with tunes by American composers such as

Richard Rodgers Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American Musical composition, composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway theatre, Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers wa ...

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard "Hoagy" Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor, author and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s and 1940s, a ...

and

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

. Adair was an adjunct professor of jazz studies at

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

Blair School of Music Blair School of Music, located in Nashville, Tennessee, provides a conservatory-caliber undergraduate education in music performance, composition, or integrated music studies (theory and history) within the context of a major research university, ...

. She was a faculty and board member of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, where she often performed. In 2002, Adair was named a

Steinway Artist Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway (), is a German-American piano company, founded in 1853 in New York City by German piano builder Henry E. Steinway, Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The company's growth le ...

. She was inducted into Western Kentucky University's Hall of Fame and Cave City's Hall of Fame. She was the inaugural recipient of Nashville Jazz Workshop's Heritage Award.

Personal life

Adair lived in

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People and characters * Franklin (given name), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (surname), including list of people and characters with the name * Franklin (class), a member of a historic ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. She was married to Billy Adair for 38 years until his death in February 2014. He was an associate professor of jazz studies at the Blair School of Music. Adair died at her home in Franklin on January 23, 2022, at the age of 84.

Discography

* 1997 ''Frank Sinatra Collection: A Musical Tribute'' (Green Hill) * 1998 ''Nat King Cole Collection: A Jazz Piano Tribute'' (Spring Hill) * 1998 ''Escape to New York'' (Cap Records) * 1999 ''Jazz Piano Christmas'' (Green Hill) * 2000 ''Love, Elvis'' (Beegie Adair Trio) (Spring Hill) * 2001 ''Dream Dancing: Songs of Cole Porter'' (Spring Hill) * 2002 ''I'll Take Romance'' (Spring Hill) * 2002 '' Centennial Composers Collection'' (Green Hill) * 2003 ''Days of Wine and Roses'' (Village Square) * 2004 ''Embraceable You'' (Green Hill) * 2004 ''Quiet Christmas'' (Village Square) * 2004 ''Sentimental Journey'' (Village Square) * 2004 ''The Way You Look Tonight: The Romantic Songs of Jerome Kern'' (Green Hill) * 2005 ''An Affair to Remember: Romantic Movie Songs of the 1950s'' (Green Hill) * 2005 ''The Nearness of You'' (Spring Hill) * 2005 ''Sinatra on Sax'' (Beegie Adair Trio and Denis Solee) (CD Baby re-release 2012) * 2006 ''Cheek to Cheek'' (Spring Hill) * 2008 ''Dream Dancing'' (Spring Hill) * 2008 ''Dancing in the Dark: A Tribute to Fred Astaire'' (Green Hill) * 2008 ''Dinner Music: Light Jazz'' (Green Hill) * 2008 ''In a Sentimental Mood'' (Green Hill) * 2008 ''My Romance: Romantic Songs of Richard Rodgers'' (Green Hill) * 2008 ''Yesterday: A Solo Piano Tribute to the Music of the Beatles'' (Green Hill) * 2009 ''Moments to Remember: Timeless Pop Hits of the 1950s'' (Green Hill) * 2009 ''Parisian Café'' (with David Davidson) (Green Hill) * 2009 ''Winter Romance'' (Green Hill) * 2009 ''Jazz Piano Christmas'' (Chordant Music Group) * 2010 ''Swingin' with Sinatra'' (Green Hill) * 2010 ''Christmas Jazz: Instrumental Jazz for the Holidays'' (Green Hill) * 2011 ''Cocktail Party'' (Green Hill) * 2011 ''I Love Being Here with You: A Jazz Piano Tribute to Peggy Lee'' (Green Hill) * 2011 ''Into Somethin' '' (Green Hill) * 2011 ''Love Letters'': ''The Beegie Adair Romance Collection'' (Green Hill) * 2011 ''Piano Music for Quiet Moments'' (Spring Hill) * 2012 ''After the Ball'' (with Jaimee Paul) (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Christmas and Cocktails'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Christmas Elegance: Elegant Holiday Instrumentals Featuring Piano and Violin'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Cocktail Party Piano: Elegant'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Jazz and the Movies'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Jazz for the Road'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Trav'lin' Light: Instrumental Jazz for the Open Road'' (Denis Solee and the Beegie Adair Trio) (Burton Avenue Music) * 2012 ''Days of Wine and Roses: Songs of Johnny Mercer'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Piano Music for Moms: Mother's Day Music Collection'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Piano Music for Weddings'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''Save the Last Dance for Me: A Jazz Trio Salute to Timeless Pop Hits of the 1960s'' (Green Hill) * 2012 ''The Real Thing: Live'' (Green Hill/Adair Music Group) * 2013 ''As Time Goes By: Silver Screen Classics From The Golden Age Of Cinema'' (Green Hill) * 2013 ''A Time for Love: Jazz Piano Romance'' (Green Hill) * 2013 ''Jazz on Broadway'' (Beegie Adair Trio with Jack Jezzro) (Green Hill) * 2013: ''Sentimental Journey: Saluting the Greatest Generation With Classic Gems of the World War II Era'' (Green Hill) * 2014 ''The Good Life: A Jazz Piano Tribute to Tony Bennett'' (Green Hill) * 2014 ''Vintage Jazz'' (Green Hill) * 2014 ''By Myself'' (Green Hill) * 2015 ''Too Marvelous for Words'' (with Don Aliquo) (Adair Music Group) * 2015 ''Quiet Christmas: Solo Piano'' (Green Hill) * 2016 ''Some Enchanted Evening'' (with Monica Ramey) (Green Hill) * 2016 ''Jazz Romance'' (Green Hill) * 2017 ''By Request'' (Green Hill) * 2018 ''Gershwin on Sax'' (Beegie Adair Trio and Denis Solee) (Green Hill) * 2019 ''Grover's Hat Project'' (CD Baby) * 2020 ''Beegie Adair Collection'' * 2020 ''Best of Beegie Adair: Solo Piano Performances'' * 2020 ''Best of Beegie Adair: Jazz Piano Christmas Performances'' * 2021 ''Valentine's Day Jazz'' * 2021 ''Best of Beegie Adair: Jazz Piano Performances'' * 2021 ''Beegie Adair: The Collection

021 069 is: * in Brazil, the telephone area code for the city of Rio de Janeiro and surrounding cities (Greater Rio de Janeiro) * in China, the telephone area code for the city of Shanghai. * in Indonesia, the area code for the city of Jakarta and su ...

' * 2021 ''Winter Wonderland'' * 2021 ''Christmas Fireplace'' * 2022 ''Deep Cuts''

References

External links

Beegie Adair's website
* *
Appearance on NPR's ''Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz''Nashville Jazz Workshop
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adair, Beegie 1937 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American women pianists 21st-century American pianists 21st-century American women pianists People from Barren County, Kentucky Jazz musicians from Kentucky American jazz pianists Western Kentucky University alumni Kentucky women musicians American women jazz pianists