Teddy Wilson (Theodore Shaw Wilson, November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was … Read Full Bio ↴Teddy Wilson (Theodore Shaw Wilson, November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist and bandleader.

Wilson's sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. With Goodman, he was perhaps the first well-known black musician to play publicly in a racially integrated group. In addition to his extensive work as a sideman, Wilson also led his own groups and recording sessions from the late 1920s to the '80s.

Wilson was born in Austin, Texas, on November 24, 1912. He studied piano and violin at Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. After working in the Lawrence "Speed" Webb band, with Louis Armstrong, and also understudying Earl Hines in Hines's Grand Terrace Cafe Orchestra, Wilson joined Benny Carter's Chocolate Dandies in 1933. In 1935, he joined the Benny Goodman Trio (which consisted of Goodman, Wilson and drummer Gene Krupa, later expanded to the Benny Goodman Quartet with the addition of Lionel Hampton). The trio performed during the big band's intermissions. By joining the trio, Wilson became the first black musician to perform in public with a previously all-white jazz group.
Noted jazz producer and writer John Hammond was instrumental in getting Wilson a contract with Brunswick, starting in 1935, to record hot swing arrangements of the popular songs of the day, with the growing jukebox trade in mind. He recorded fifty hit records with various singers such as Lena Horne, Helen Ward and Billie Holiday, including many of Holiday's greatest successes. During these years, he also took part in many highly regarded sessions with a wide range of important swing musicians such as Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Red Norvo, Buck Clayton, and Ben Webster.
Wilson formed his own short-lived big band in 1939, then led a sextet at Café Society from 1940 to 1944. He was dubbed the "Marxist Mozart" by Howard "Stretch" Johnson due to his support for left-wing causes. Wilson performed in benefit concerts for The New Masses journal, for Russian War Relief and he chaired the Artists' Committee to elect Benjamin J. Davis). In the 1950s, Wilson taught at the Juilliard School. Wilson can be seen appearing as himself in the 1955 motion picture The Benny Goodman Story. He also worked as music director for the Dick Cavett Show.
Wilson lived quietly in suburban Hillsdale, New Jersey, in the 1960s and 1970s. He performed as a soloist and with pick-up groups until the final years of his life.
Wilson died in New Britain CT, on July 31, 1986; he was 73. He is buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Britain, Connecticut.

When You're Smiling
Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra Lyrics

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When you're smiling
When you're smiling
The whole world smiles with you
When you're laughing
When you're laughing
The sun comes shining through
But when you're crying
You bring on the rain

So stop your sighing be happy again
Keep on smiling

'Cause when you're smiling
The whole world smiles with you

Overall Meaning

The song "When You're Smiling" by Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra is a joyful song that encourages people to keep smiling in order to make the world a happier place. The lyrics describe the contagious nature of a smile: when you smile, the whole world smiles with you. Similarly, when you laugh, it's as if the sun is shining through. However, when you cry, you bring on the rain. This line suggests that our emotional states can have an impact on the world around us. The song concludes by encouraging listeners to keep on smiling, because when you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you.

The overall message of this song is that happiness is contagious, and it's important to try to spread joy wherever we can. This idea is reinforced through the use of metaphors related to weather and emotions. By describing how a smile can make the entire world brighter, the song encourages listeners to adopt a positive outlook on life. At the same time, the lyrics acknowledge that it's okay to feel sad sometimes, but urges people to try to be happy again.

When You're SmilingTeddy Wilson & His Orchestra Lyrics

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When You're Smiling
Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra Lyrics