Don Byas
#246,442 Most Popular
About
Collaborator with many jazz greats who took Lester Young's place in Count Basie's band in 1941. He was a bandleader on more than twenty albums, including Midnight at Minton's.
Before Fame
He played a variety of instruments as a young man but switched to tenor saxophone when he moved to Los Angeles, where he performed with many bands.
Trivia
He spent time living and performing in his Oklahoma hometown, in Los Angeles, in New York City, in Paris, and in the Netherlands.
Family Life
When he moved to the Netherlands, Byas married a Dutch woman with whom he stayed until his death.
Associated With
He toured in Europe with many different artists, including Dizzy Gillespie.
