Great Britain
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George Shearing
London, Great Britain
Archival Overview
Blind British-American jazz pianist and composer who created the famous 'Shearing sound' with his quintet and composed the enduring jazz standard Lullaby of Birdland.
Biographical Record
Sir George Albert Shearing was born blind in Battersea, London, to a coal deliveryman father, learning piano by ear at age three. Emigrating to the United States in 1947, he formed the George Shearing Quintet in 1949 with piano, vibraphone, guitar, bass, and drums.
Shearing's locked-hands block-chord technique created the smooth, sophisticated 'Shearing sound' that popularized cool jazz. In 1952, he composed 'Lullaby of Birdland', which became an immortal jazz standard recorded by Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007, he won two Grammy Awards.
Key Life Milestones
September in the Rain Hit Single
Recorded the breakthrough hit that introduced the world to the unique Shearing quintet sound.
Composition of Lullaby of Birdland
Composed the legendary jazz standard in just ten minutes, creating an enduring anthem of modern jazz.
Memorial Guestbook & Tributes
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Final Resting Place
Perpetual MemorialNew York City, United States