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Williams, Mary Lou, 1910-1981
Variant namesMary Lou Williams (born Mary Elfrieda Scruggs, May 8, 1910, Atlanta, Georgia – May 28, 1981, Durham, North Carolina) was an American jazz pianist, arranger, and composer. She wrote hundreds of compositions and arrangements and recorded more than one hundred records (in 78, 45, and LP versions). Williams wrote and arranged for Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, and she was friend, mentor, and teacher to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.
She has been noted for her 1954 conversion to Catholicism, which led to a musical hiatus and a later transformation in the nature of her music. She continued to perform and work as a philanthropist, educator, and youth mentor until her death from bladder cancer in 1981.
Archival Resources
Bibliographic and Digital Archival Resources
| Role | Title | Holding Repository |
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Filters:
| Relation | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| associatedWith | American Museum of Vaudeville | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Armstrong, Louis, 1901-1971 | person |
| associatedWith | Blakey, Art, 1919-1990 | person |
| associatedWith | Café Society (Nightclub) | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Cullen, Frank, 1936- | person |
| associatedWith | Dahl, Linda, 1949- | person |
| associatedWith | Dameron, Tadd, 1917-1965 | person |
| associatedWith | Davis, Miles | person |
| associatedWith | Dodge, Joseph Jeffers | person |
| associatedWith | Dorsey, Tommy, 1905-1956 | person |
| employeeOf | Duke University. | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Duke University. News Service. | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Duke University. University Archives. | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Ellington, Duke, 1899-1974 | person |
| associatedWith | Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993 | person |
| associatedWith | Goodman, Benny, 1909- | person |
| associatedWith | Goodman, Benny, 1909-1986. | person |
| associatedWith | Hines, Earl, 1903-1983 | person |
| associatedWith | Kapp, Jack, 1901-1949 | person |
| associatedWith | Kirk, Andy, 1898-1992 | person |
| associatedWith | Ledogar, Robert J. | person |
| associatedWith | Lucas, Al, 1916-1983 | person |
| associatedWith | Martín, de Porres, Saint, 1579-1639 | person |
| founderOf | Mary Lou Williams Trio | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | McNeilly, Donald, 1945- | person |
| associatedWith | Monk, Thelonious | person |
| participantIn | Monterey Jazz Festival | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Parker, Charlie, 1920-1955 | person |
| associatedWith | Powell, Bud | person |
| associatedWith | Sales, Grover, Mr. | person |
| associatedWith | Sanford, Terry, 1917-1998. | person |
| associatedWith | Semans family | family |
| associatedWith | Taylor, Cecil P., 1929-1981 | person |
| associatedWith | Tyson, Cynthia. | person |
| associatedWith | Walker-Hill, Helen | person |
| associatedWith | Webster, Ben, 1909-1973 | person |
| associatedWith | WNEW (Radio station : New York, N.Y.) | corporateBody |
| associatedWith | Woods, A. (Anthony) | person |
| Place Name | Admin Code | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | GA | US | |
| United States | 00 | US | |
| Durham | NC | US |
| Subject |
|---|
| Cantatas |
| Choruses, Sacred |
| Choruses, Sacred (Children's voices, 2 parts), Unaccompanied |
| Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices, 6 parts), Unaccompanied |
| Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices, 6 parts) with piano |
| Gospel music |
| Jazz |
| Jazz |
| Jazz vocals |
| Lenten music |
| Lord's prayer (Music) |
| Masses |
| Masses |
| Music |
| Music |
| Piano music (Jazz) |
| Sacred songs (Medium voice) with piano |
| Sacred songs, Unaccompanied |
| Women jazz musicians |
| Occupation |
|---|
| African American women musicians |
| Arrangers (Musicians) |
| Composers |
| Jazz musicians |
| Pianists |
| Activity |
|---|
Person
Birth 1910-05-08
Death 1981-05-28
Americans
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