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Count Basie Count Basie's birth name is William James Basie. He was born August 21, 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. He died on April 26,1984 in Hollywood, Florida at the age of 79. The instruments he played were the piano and the organ. His father worked as a coachman and caretaker for a wealthy judge. His mother, a piano player who gave William his first piano lessons, took in laundry and baked for sale and payed 25 cents a lesson for piano instructions for him. Basie was not much of a student and instead he dreamed of traveling. He was inspired to travel because of the carnivals that came to town. He only got as far junior high school. He was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his popular Count Basie Orchestra for almost 50 years. Count Basie was one of the many great American musicians that ever lived. His famous jazz compositions will go down in history.

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