Bill Pursell is an American composer and former session pianist.
He … Read Full Bio ↴Bill Pursell is an American composer and former session pianist.
He had a brief but successful career as a pop musician before continuing on as a session player.
Pursell was born in Oakland, California, USA and raised in Tulare. He studied composition in Baltimore and arranged for the U.S. Air Force Band while serving in World War II.
Bill Pursell studied classical composition under Howard Hanson at the Eastman School of Music and earned a doctorate in composition in the mid-fifties. His symphonic poem "The Children's Suite" was the inaugural recipient of the Edward B. Benjamin Prize in 1953. Later that decade, he worked with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and taught at Vanderbilt University.
In 1962 he signed with Columbia Records, who released a full-length album "Our Winter Love". The album reached #28 on the Billboard top 200 on the strength of the popularity of the title track "Our Winter Love", which hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to hitting #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #20 on the Black Singles chart. The arrangements for the album were made by Bill Justis, and the orchestra was conducted by Grady Martin.
His follow-up single "Loved" reached Billboard position #121. Pursell later recorded for Epic, Alton, and Dot, but never hit the pop charts again. He played piano on many of Johnny Cash's albums in the 1960s, and worked as a session musician and arranger for Patsy Cline, Johnny Paycheck, Hoover, Joan Baez, Eric Andersen, Scotty Moore, J.J. Cale, Willie Nelson, and others.
In 1985, Pursell was named Composer of the Year by the Tennessee Music Teachers Association.
Pursell has been a member of the faculty of the School of Music at Belmont University since 1980.
He … Read Full Bio ↴Bill Pursell is an American composer and former session pianist.
He had a brief but successful career as a pop musician before continuing on as a session player.
Pursell was born in Oakland, California, USA and raised in Tulare. He studied composition in Baltimore and arranged for the U.S. Air Force Band while serving in World War II.
Bill Pursell studied classical composition under Howard Hanson at the Eastman School of Music and earned a doctorate in composition in the mid-fifties. His symphonic poem "The Children's Suite" was the inaugural recipient of the Edward B. Benjamin Prize in 1953. Later that decade, he worked with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and taught at Vanderbilt University.
In 1962 he signed with Columbia Records, who released a full-length album "Our Winter Love". The album reached #28 on the Billboard top 200 on the strength of the popularity of the title track "Our Winter Love", which hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to hitting #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #20 on the Black Singles chart. The arrangements for the album were made by Bill Justis, and the orchestra was conducted by Grady Martin.
His follow-up single "Loved" reached Billboard position #121. Pursell later recorded for Epic, Alton, and Dot, but never hit the pop charts again. He played piano on many of Johnny Cash's albums in the 1960s, and worked as a session musician and arranger for Patsy Cline, Johnny Paycheck, Hoover, Joan Baez, Eric Andersen, Scotty Moore, J.J. Cale, Willie Nelson, and others.
In 1985, Pursell was named Composer of the Year by the Tennessee Music Teachers Association.
Pursell has been a member of the faculty of the School of Music at Belmont University since 1980.
Our Winter Love
Bill Pursell Lyrics
Instrumental
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Calvin Jackson
Beautiful work by Bill Pursell who did this in 1963 and who died in 2020 from covid19 according to what I have read here on the internet. Dead at age of 94. This is probably his most remembered achievement. An immortal classic. My first memory of hearing it was about 1970 my first year of college. I have loved it ever since.
Condy Love
I really love this one of the most beautiful instrumentals of all time
Jeff H
Beautiful! One of my all-time favorites.
Zane Belton
I've always loved the fuzz-bass in this one.
mistery-ed
A lovely one.
Joyce Smith
Beautiful like stranger on the shore.
Robert Bullock
Wondrous!
Miguel Colon
Izzy loves cool instrumental music 🎸 🎶 💘 Enjoy 1963.