Bix Beiderbecke. Also known as " Bix Beiderbecke "Born: 10-Mar-1903 Place of Birth: Davenport, IA Gender: M Father: Besmank H. Beiderbecke Mother: Agatha H. Career: Musician. Bix Beiderbecke died in his apartment on 46th street, in Sunnyside Queens on Thursday, August 6th, 1931 of Lobar pneumonia. The critic and musician Digby Fairweather sums up Beiderbecke's musical legacy, arguing that "with Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke was the most striking of jazz's cornet (and of course, trumpet) fathers; a player who first captivated his 1920s generation and after his premature death, founded a dynasty of distinguished followers beginning with Jimmy McPartland and moving on … “I think Bix has gotten a bad rap,” Sandke said in an interview with the Quad-City Times on July 27. Birth Chart of Bix Beiderbecke, Astrology Horoscope, Astro, Birthday, Pisces Horoscope of Celebrity. This is how they made their money, by taking advantage of people like Bix who needed the drink. Cause of death: Pneumonia. As for Bix, a breakdown the night of Nov. 30, 1928, in Cleveland, may have been the result of bad alcohol, Sandke said. Beiderbecke remains the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his full name, the cause of his death and the importance of his contributions to jazz. During the broadcast, pianist Bert Sloan played Bix’s composition, “In a Mist,” reminding people that Bix also was an accomplished pianist and composer. In 1971, on the fortieth anniversary of Beiderbecke's death, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival was founded in Davenport, Iowa, to honor the musician. "If you listen to his music from that point on, he rallies and he records some great stuff. The official cause of death was pneumonia and edema of the brain. The critic and musician Digby Fairweather sums up Beiderbecke's musical legacy, arguing that "with Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke was the most striking of jazz's cornet (and of course, trumpet) fathers; a player who first captivated his 1920s generation and after his premature death, founded a dynasty of distinguished followers beginning with Jimmy McPartland and moving on … Here, then, is how Nicholson claims this to be murder: People definitely did die—but not because the U.S. government distributed poisoned alcohol. The episode left Bix with severe peripheral neuropathy affecting both of his legs and feet as well as chronic pneumonia, which eventually killed him. The next year a Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Festival was begun there, and it has grown to be a huge annual event, drawing thousands to downtown Davenport every July. Was Bix's death caused by alcohol tainted by the federal government? The British jazz critic Stuart Nicholson caught my attention the other day when he provocatively suggested that Bix Beiderbecke may have been murdered. He composed or played on recordings that are jazz classics and standards such as "Davenport Blues", "In a Mist", "Copenhagen", "Riverboat Shuffle", "Singin' the Blues", and "Georgia on My Mind". Blom's own book doesn't say who accused the government of murder, but it strikes me as hyperbole. His kidneys and liver didn’t function properly. His more famous recordings were with his little orchestra, "Bix and his Gang", in 1927. His body was shipped back to Davenport for burial. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Traffic deaths remain same as 2019 in Iowa, WATCH NOW: The vice-presidential motorcade leaves Mason City airport, WATCH NOW: Vice President Pence lands in Mason City, WATCH NOW: An Air Force jet lands in Mason City ahead of Pence visit, WATCH NOW: Day 5 #BlackLivesMatter protest, vigil in Mason City - Thursday, June 4. People purchased drinks at their own risk. His kidneys and liver didn’t function properly, and he suffered from headaches, dizziness, blackouts, memory loss and had to use a cane to get around, all … The episode left Bix with severe peripheral neuropathy affecting both of his legs and feet as well as chronic pneumonia, which eventually killed him. It was also said that the cause of his death was Early Life. To quote from Sudhalter and Evans s book Bix. Candlelights (A Modern Piano Solo) by Bix Beiderbecke for piano solo, 1930 Digital PDF score + Midi file . Leon Bismark Beiderbecke was born March 10, 1903. The indisputable facts: On Thursday, Aug. 6, 1931, at 9:30 p.m. Beiderbecke, the great Davenport cornetist, died in New York City. He was born to parents Bismark Herman and Agatha Jane Hilton Beiderbecke. While consumable alcohol was banned during Prohibition, there remained a need for industrial alcohol. What Sandke thinks is that in Bix's final days, the musician was unlucky enough to have consumed alcohol that was tainted, possibly with methanol, such as wood alcohol, or some other substance. In fact the 18th Amendment never prohibited drinking alcohol, just its manufacture, transportation and sale. And if he also drank poisoned alcohol, then that exacerbated the effects of his illness. Bix Beiderbecke was born on March 10, 1903, in Davenport, Iowa, the son of Bismark Herman and Agatha Jane (Hilton) Beiderbecke. For more information about Bix check out the Bix Beiderbecke Resources A Bixography Citing the musician Randy Sandke, he asserts that Beiderbecke's symptoms were "hardly consistent with prolonged use of alcohol, [but] rather a sudden and acute poisoning—but with what?". Later, in a fit of delirium, according to trombonist and friend Bill Rank, Bix cracked up and broke up a roomful of furniture at the hotel. This is the crucial premise of Sandke's—and Nicholson's—argument. In it, he refers to a breakdown that preceded Beiderbecke's stint in rehab, writing: It seems all too obvious that Beiderbecke's near fatal attack resulted not from prolonged use of alcohol, but rather sudden and acute poisoning caused by substances of far greater toxicity. Eddie Lang (born Salvatore Massaro, October 25, 1902 – March 26, 1933) is known as the father of jazz guitar. Only Bix Beiderbecke, the great cornetist who drank himself to death in 1931 at the age of 28, suffered a sadder fate. For while the Beiderbecke sound is filled with joy--and it is hot and it is swinging--it often carries a subtle sadness. Bix suffered from severe pain in his legs and other ill effects of prohibition era alcohol and with declining work around the New York City area, he took a turn for the worse. Here is all you want to know, and more! The article as was written: “After one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.”. You have permission to edit this article. Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 -- August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer. There is disagreement over whether Beiderbecke was christened Leon Bismark (and nicknamed "Bix") or Leon Bix. The symptoms are those of someone who has been a victim of alcohol poisoning. Cause of death: then {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}} per month. Was someone out to get Bix? Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. “While the official cause of Beiderbecke’s death was lobar pneumonia, most historians agree that acute alcoholism was responsible for the decline in his physical and mental health in the last year or so of his life,” the jazz website says. Beiderbecke remains the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his true name, the cause of his death, and the importance of his contributions to jazz. Burnie Beiderbecke claimed that the boy was named Leon Bix[12] and subsequent biographers have reproduced birth certificates to that effect. Instead, by the time Prohibition ended in 1933, Blum says in her essay, “the federal government poisoning program, by some estimates, had killed at least 10,000 people.”. Bix did not just one day contract pneumonia and die. Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer. In late July or early August 1931, Beiderbecke took up residence at 43-30 46th Street, Sunnyside, Queens, New York City, where he went on his last drinking binge. In late July or early August 1931, Beiderbecke took up residence at 43-30 46th Street, Sunnyside, Queens, New York City, where he went on his last drinking binge. Beiderbecke remains the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his full name, the cause of his death and the importance of his contributions to jazz. Denatured alcohol—not alcohol addiction—is what killed Beiderbecke, Nicholson writes. As a teenager he would sneak off to the banks of the Mississippi to listen to the bands play on the riverboats that would come up from the south. Jazz Age cornetist, pianist, and composer who made a profound impact in spite of his life ending prematurely at age 28. Jazz Age Genius by David R. Bix Beiderbecke was one of the great jazz musicians of the ‘s; he was also a child of the Jazz Age who drank himself to an early grave with illegal Prohibition liquor. Buy Now ($2,99) Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer. People have asked me over the years how it was possible for someone like Bix, even assuming he was an alcoholic, to die so young. He composed or played on recordings that are jazz classics and standards such as “ Davenport Blues “, “ In a Mist “, “ Copenhagen “, “ Riverboat Shuffle “, “ Singin’ the Blues “, and “ Georgia On My Mind “. That's the standard accounting of Bix's death, and it hardly suggests murder. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. They then sold it to customers despite the fact that the poison was not always completely gone. Location of death: Queens, NY. Leon Bix Beiderbecke was born in Davenport, Iowa to a middle-class family. This was a wake-up call to some in Davenport. Born: 10-Mar - 1903. Sandke argues that Bix could have been unlucky enough that night to have imbibed tainted alcohol, as many had during Prohibition, and it could have been the federal government that may have, inadvertently, been a factor in Bix’s untimely death. Denaturing alcohol was dangerous for the government to do under these circumstances, and it may have been bad policy and even constituted a public health crisis, but it was hardly a secret. The historical Beiderbecke, meanwhile, is the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his true name, his sexual orientation, the cause of his death, and the importance of his contributions to jazz in relation to those of African-American players of the same period. https://www.thecelebritydeaths.com/bix-beiderbeckes-death-cause-and-date It was possible because he was not imbibing the high-quality liquor available to us today. Bix Beiderbecke was born on Beiderbecke was twenty-eight when he died and by nearly all accounts he was an alcoholic. Sandke, of course, is a wonderful horn player in the Beiderbecke style. Song In a Mist Be the first to review this item Amazon Best Sellers Rank: Get fast, free shipping with Amazon Prime. As a teenager he would sneak off to the banks of the Mississippi to listen to the bands play on the riverboats that would come up from the south. The episode left him with severe peripheral neuropathy affecting both his legs and feet as well as chronic pneumonia, which eventually killed him. On Aug. 9, 1931, both WOC and WHO paid tribute to Bix during a broadcast of the Valley dance, according to the Davenport Democrat and Leader. The historical Beiderbecke, meanwhile, is the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his true name, his sexual orientation, the cause of his death, and the importance of his contributions to jazz in relation to those of African-American players of the same period. From that point on, until his death at 28, his health continued to decline and his short but brilliant career was virtually over. This space takes note of whatever it is I'm interested in at the moment. Did he have enemies I didn't know about? His father was nicknamed "Bix", as, for a time, was his older brother, Charles Burnette "Burnie" Beiderbecke. The records of his stay can still be found, of all places, at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Remains: Buried, Oakdale Memorial Gardens, Davenport, IA. A "Tribute to Bix Beiderbecke" takes place in Kenosha, Wisconsin on the weekend nearest March 10. This mysterious event left Beiderbecke, at the age of 25 and a half, with severe peripheral neuropathy affecting his legs and feet, as well as chronic pneumonia, which would ultimately cause his death. AKA Leon Bix Beiderbecke. As it happens, Dr. Frederick J. Spencer, whose book Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats presents a physician's take on the same evidence, also argues that this incident did not involve a case of the DTs. Birthplace: Davenport, IA. "Was Bix Beiderbecke Poisoned by the Federal Government? Leon B. Beiderbecke. Bix Beiderbecke. That Bix drank alcohol heavily has never been a secret. I didn’t contribute anything, but I listened and learned […] I was now being influenced by these musicians, particularly horn men. The pianist Bix Beiderbecke died at the age of 28. He was 28. Beiderbecke remains the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his full name, the cause of his death and the importance of his contributions to jazz. Prohibition did not stop people from drinking alcoholic beverages. Three years later, Ralph Berton, whose brother Vic Berton played for a time with Beiderbecke in the Wolverines, published a memoir, Remembering Bix , in which he claimed that Beiderbecke had had a brief fling with … A good Friday to all. Beiderbecke remains the subject of scholarly controversy regarding his full name, the cause of his death and the importance of his contributions to jazz. “He died, and it was related to his alcoholism.". It is said that violent alcohol consumption played a factor in his death… More than 80 years after Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke died at the age of 28, a theory about the cornetist's controversial end argues Bix was the tragic victim of an anti-liquor campaign arranged by the federal government. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for Bix Beiderbecke (10 Mar 1903–6 Aug 1931), Find a Grave Memorial no. In September of 1929—almost two years before the end—he was admitted to the Keeley Institute, in Dwight, Illinois, the nation's premier alcohol rehabilitation facility. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Bix Beiderbecke. Bix died in 1931. And yet what evidence does he provide? I do think this is important context for understanding Bix Beiderbecke's health and early death. He was 28. Bix Beiderbecke was born on March 10, 1903, in Davenport, Iowa, the son of Bismark Herman and Agatha Jane (Hilton) Beiderbecke. I could […] Beiderbecke was one of the most influential white jazz soloists of the 1920s. Enjoy unlimited articles at one of our lowest prices ever. The musician-critic Benny Green sarcastically called Beiderbecke "jazz's Number One Saint," while Ralph Berton compared him to Jesus. Birth Chart of Bix Beiderbecke, Astrology Horoscope, Astro, Birthday, Pisces Horoscope of Celebrity. The industrial alcohol, as Blum points out, often was stolen by bootleggers and “resold as drinkable spirits.”, What the government did was order the poisoning of industrial alcohols produced in the United States in the hopes it would scare people into giving up illicit drinking. Location of death: Queens, NY. But jazz artist Randall Sandke, who plays cornet and trumpet and who is on the board of the Bix Beiderbecke Museum and Archive, said he has long wondered about the ultimate cause of Bix’s death. 1G, 43-30 46th Street, in Sunnyside, Queens, New York, on August 6, 1931. Rock, pop and blues music has a long history of premature deaths of influential musicians. In 1974, Sudhalter and Evans published their biography, Bix: Man and Legend, which was nominated for a National Book Award. Beiderbecke was twenty-eight when he died and by nearly all accounts he was an alcoholic. Died: 6-Aug - 1931. This strikes me as not a very useful point. 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