Eddie Wilcox (December 27, 1907 – September 29, 1968) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

pianist and arranger.

Biography

Born in Method, North Carolina, Wilcox studied at

Fisk University Fisk University is a Private university, private Historically black colleges and universities, historically black Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus i ...

, where he met

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...

. He played with Lunceford in college bands and then professionally in the mid-1920s. In 1929 he became the main arranger for Lunceford's ensemble, and remained so until Lunceford's death in 1947. Eddie Wilcoxat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

He was named co-leader with Joe Thomas after Lunceford died, and became sole leader in January 1949, where he remained until the group disbanded early in the 1950s. His 1952 cover version recording of " Wheel of Fortune" became a hit in the U.S., peaking at #14.

Joel Whitburn Joel Carver Whitburn (November 29, 1939 – June 14, 2022) was an American author and music historian, responsible for setting up the Record Research, Inc. series of books on record chart placings. Early life Joel Carver Whitburn was born in W ...

, ''Top Pop Records 1940-1955''. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, 1973. Following this Wilcox played solo at the Cafe Riviera in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for nearly a decade. He along with Jazz tenor saxophonest Teddy McRae founded the Raecox record label in the 1950s, issuing R&B music. He also worked as an executive for Riviera Records and Derby Records. Shortly before his death he worked with Russell Moore.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcox, Eddie 1907 births 1968 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists 20th-century American pianists Jazz musicians from North Carolina 20th-century American male musicians