Gerald Wilson

Gerald Stanley Wilson (September 4, 1918 – September 8, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, and educator. He was from Los Angeles. He began his career since the early 1940s.^[1] Wilson was born in Shelby, Mississippi.

Gerald Wilson
Gerald Wilson
Background information
Birth name	Gerald Stanley Wilson
Born	(1918-09-04)September 4, 1918 Shelby, Mississippi, USA
Origin	Shelby, Mississippi
Died	September 8, 2014(2014-09-08) (aged 96) Los Angeles, California, USA
Genres	jazz, pop
Occupation(s)	Trumpeter, bandleader, composer
Instruments	Trumpet, piano
Years active	1938 - 2014
Labels	Capitol, Pacific, Discovery

Wilson joined the Jimmie Lunceford orchestra in 1939, replacing its star trumpeter and arranger Sy Oliver. While with Lunceford, he contributed numbers to the band's book, including Hi Spook and Yard-dog Mazurka. Wilson has written arrangements for many other famous artists including Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Julie London, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Carter, Lionel Hampton, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson and many more.

Wilson died on September 8, 2014 from pneumonia in Los Angeles, California at the age of 96.