Wilson was born in Austin, Texas in 1912. He studied piano and violin at Tuskegee Institute. 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 and Helen Ward, including many of Billie 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 (he performed in benefit concerts for The New Masses journal and for Russian War Relief, and chaired the Artists' Committee to elect Benjamin J. Davis).[1] In the 1950s he taught at the Juilliard School. Wilson can be seen appearing as himself in the motion picture The Benny Goodman Story (1955).
Wilson lived quietly in suburban Hillsdale, NJ in the 1960s and 1970s. He performed as a soloist and with pick-up groups until the final years of his life. Teddy Wilson died on July 31, 1986.
He rests at Fairview Cemetery in New Britain, CT
[edit] Discography
Wilson at a Benny Goodman rehearsal, 1950
* Teddy Wilson Featuring Billie Holiday (1949)
* I Got Rhythm (1956)
* Pres and Teddy (1956)
* With Billie in Mind (1972)
* Live at Santa Tecla (1976)
* Teddy Wilson Trio Revisits the Goodman Years (1980)
As sideman:
* Billie Holiday, The Quintessential Billie Holiday, vols. 1 - 9 (1933-1942)
* Benny Goodman, The Complete RCA Victor Small Group Recordings (1935-1939)
* Benny Goodman, The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert (1938)
Died July 31, 1986(1986-07-31) (aged 73)
Hillsdale, New Jersey
Genres Jazz
Associated acts Louis Armstrong
Earl Hines
Billie Holiday
Lester Young
Lena Horne
Benny Goodman
Alice Blue Gown
Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes everybody's laughing
They know that you and I are through
And everybody's laughing
I told the world you loved me
And bragged about it proudly
But since they know it's over
People love to linger
So they can point a finger
And tear apart a gal whose heart
Was taken through the wringer
It we could start all over
The laugh might be on them
But meanwhile
Everybody's laughing
It we could start all over
The laugh might be on them
But meanwhile
Everybody's laughing
The lyrics of Teddy Wilson's song Alice Blue Gown talks about a woman who bragged to the world about somebody who no longer wants to be with her anymore. The first verse starts off by saying that "everybody's laughing" which means that everyone knows that they are no longer together and they find the situation amusing. The woman in the song had told everyone that the man loved her and was proud of it, but since the man doesn't love her anymore, everyone is laughing at her.
The second verse explains how people love to linger and gossip about other people’s problems. The woman’s heart was broken and was taken through intense pain, and people are pointing fingers and tearing her apart. The chorus ends by saying that if they could start over, the laugh would be on them. Meanwhile, everyone is still laughing.
The lyrics of this song accurately portray the feelings of heartbreak and the aftermath of a relationship that didn't work out. The focus on how people have to point fingers and laugh at someone else's pain is prevalent in our society even today.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's laughing
Everyone around me is laughing and making fun of me for my situation
Yes everybody's laughing
I can see that everyone is laughing and it makes me feel embarrassed
They know that you and I are through
Everyone is aware that you and I have ended our relationship
And everybody's laughing
Everyone continues to laugh, even though it doesn't make me feel any better
I told the world you loved me
I shared with others that you had strong feelings for me
And bragged about it proudly
I took pride in the fact that you loved me and told others all about it
But since they know it's over
Now that everyone knows our relationship has ended
They're laughing at me loudly.
People are laughing at me in a very obvious and hurtful way
People love to linger
People like to stick around and gossip, even if it's hurtful
So they can point a finger
People want to find someone to blame and laugh at, and I'm the target of their ridicule
And tear apart a gal whose heart
They are attacking me, a woman, even though I'm feeling really heartbroken
Was taken through the wringer
I've been put through a lot of emotional pain.
It we could start all over
If we could go back in time and fix things...
The laugh might be on them
They might not be so quick to be laughing if they knew the whole story
But meanwhile
But right now...
Everybody's laughing
Everyone is still laughing and making me miserable.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Tierney, Joseph Mc Carthy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Spencer Smith
Since he went to Heaven, Teddy Wilson has been The Lord’s personal pianist.