Billy Stritch

Billy Stritch
Born (1962-02-12) February 12, 1962 (age 62)
Houston, Texas
Alma materUniversity of Houston
Known forLiza Minnelli Confidant

Billy Stritch (born February 12, 1962, in Houston, Texas) is an American composer, arranger, vocalist, and jazz pianist. For many years, he was best known as a confidant, music director, and piano player for Liza Minnelli.[1]

Early life and career

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Stritch was born on February 12, 1962, in Houston, Texas, and raised in Sugar Land, Texas. At the age of 8 or 9, he heard big band music for the first time, and went to the large suburban John Foster Dulles High School (Class of 1979) of Sugar Land, TX that had a "great" music education program, in which he played in the "jazz band". He played in a jazz vocal trio while at college that played jazz festivals for nine years. The trio broke up and Stritch moved to New York City.[2] He attended Dulles High School and the University of Houston. Stritch met singer Marilyn Maye circa 1980, while she was playing a club in Houston.[3][4] Since then, he has worked as her frequent accompanist and music director.

Stritch recorded his first album in 1992, the self-styled jazz LP, Billy Stritch.[5]

Stritch and Sandy Knox composed the 1994 Grammy Award-winning country song, "Does He Love You," which was recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. The song, about a love triangle, follows a common trope. It peaked as a number one Country music hit in both Canada and the United States, and ended 1993 as the 52nd biggest hit in Canada,[6] and in the top 40 in the United States.[7] The single went on to win the Grammy award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration,[8][9] and although nominated,[10] Stritch lost the best song Grammy to Mary Chapin Carpenter for "Passionate Kisses."[9] Stritch and Knox had written the song when they were part of the trio back in 1982, but until McEntire "grabbed it ... in 1993" and made a surprise hit with it, nobody had recorded the ballad; even Wynonna Judd rejected it because she "didn't like to sing songs about marital problems."[11] In 1996, Minnelli released the song as a duet with Donna Summer, from Minnelli's album, "Gently". In 1997, it appeared on Patti LaBelle's album, Flame.

Collaboration with Liza Minnelli

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For 23 years, Stritch was associated with Liza Minnelli, as her "confidant", music director, and piano player.[2][9][12] They met when Stritch was playing piano in Manhattan, in March 1991;[2][13] that night, seeing her, he played musical themes from films of Vincente Minnelli, her father, and they hit it off immediately.[1] He arranged the music for her show at Radio City Music Hall and opened her act on a national tour of the United States.[13] In 1999, he arranged music for Liza Minnelli's Broadway one-woman show Minnelli on Minnelli: Live at the Palace, and performed with her in 2008's Liza's at the Palace.[14] Stritch co-wrote, with Brian Lane Green Johnny Rodgers, I Would Never Leave You for Liza's at the Palace..., which was produced by Phil Ramone.

In 2008, Minnelli praised Stritch for their long collaboration on her Facebook page.[15] They performed together for the 2009 grand re-opening of the Guildhall in Easthampton; Stritch joked that he couldn't afford a "cottage" in The Hamptons.[16]

Mature career

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In 2001, he performed as Oscar in the 2001 Broadway revival of 42nd Street.[14][5] In the same year, he issued his third major disc, Jazz Live on Sin-Drome Records, receiving excellent reviews.[17] At that time, he first met Christine Ebersole, who was also in the cast.[18]

Stritch performed in a 2003 concert of Amanda Green's original revue Put a Little Love in Your Mouth!, at off-Broadway's Second Stage Theatre in March 2003, which also featured Jessica Molaskey and Mario Cantone.[19]

On most Monday nights since 2003 Stritch provides piano accompaniment for the open mic smorgasbord that is known as "Cast Party," hosted by his long-time friend Jim Caruso at Birdland in Manhattan.

In 2006, he developed a new show to serve as a tribute to his idol, Mel Tormé, opening at New York's Metropolitan Club. The New York Times reviewer wrote that "Mr. Stritch, who even looks a bit like his idol, exudes a similarly cultivated bonhomie. But he has a bigger, rougher voice."[12] He has taken that show nationally, starting in 2007 and continuing to at least 2013.[20]

For Christmas 2006 he played at the Iridium in New York with guest performers Liza Minnelli, Lainie Kazan, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Sally Mayes.[13]

His recording of Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael with Klea Blackhurst was released in October 2008.[21]

He has performed frequently with Linda Lavin, touring nationally with her in 2017 and 2018.[22][23] He has also performed with duets with Christine Ebersole;[1][18] Variety called his collaboration with her "punctuating the lady's repertoire with vigorous piano and vocal support."[24]

He performed at a benefit for Broadway Cares with Luann de Lesseps, of the reality television show, RHONY, whom she called among "the best in the business."[25]

In 2013, Stritch joined Jim Caruso in a cabaret show in New York.[26] Rex Reed wrote about their show that "Every Sunday in December, when the Café Carlyle across the hall is dark, the glamorous Bemelmans Bar is hosting the most enchanting holiday party in town."[26]

Stritch returned to his home town for a gig in 2014, where the Sugar Land Auditorium was renamed the "Billy Stritch Stage" in his honor.[27]

In 2015, Stritch toured Canada and the United States with Jim Caruso for their show, "The Sinatra Century."[1][28] He headlined at the 2016 Provincetown Jazz Festival.[29] In 2019, he performed with Marilyn Maye at the Cotuit Center for the Arts.[30]

Select discography and works

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  • "The Sunday Set: Recorded Live at The Birdland Theatre" with Jim Caruso (2022)
  • "Billy's Place" (2020)
  • "Christmas at Birdland" with Jim Caruso and Klea Blackhurst (2019)
  • "A Swinging Birdland Christmas" with Jim Caruso and Klea Blackhurst (2016)
  • "Billy Stritch Sings Mel Tormè" (2012)
  • "Dreaming of a Song: the Music of Hoagy Carmichael " with Klea Blackhurst (2008)
  • "Sunday in New York" with Christine Ebersole (2008)
  • "Billy Stritch -- Jazz Live" (2006)
  • "In Your Dreams" with Christine Ebersole (2005)
  • "Waters of March -- The Brazilian Album" (1997)
  • "Billy Stritch" (1992)
  • "The Life"
  • "Sondheim - a Celebration at Carnegie Hall"
  • "Jim Caruso: Live and In Person"
  • Guest artist on Benny Carter's Benny Carter Songbook (1996) and Benny Carter Songbook Volume II (MusicMasters 65134-2 1997)
  • Schechter, Scott and Stritch, Billy (2004). The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook. Citadel. ISBN 9780806526119.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Byrd, Craig (March 19, 2014). "Billy Stritch, 23 Years As Liza's Confidant and Music Director". LA Magazine. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Rose, Charlie (May 24, 1993). "Billy Stritch and Liza Minnelli". Charlie Rose (PBS). Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Hall, Kevin (3 March 2014). "Billy Stritch Finds 'Witchcraft' With Cy Coleman". Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  4. ^ Billy Stritch. "Billy Stritch" (Interview). Interviewed by Goodsill. Sugarland, TX: City of Sugarland. p. 4. Archived from the original (pdf) on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  5. ^ a b Frank, Jonathan. "Interview with Billy Stritch". Talking Broadway. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  6. ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1993". RPM. December 18, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  7. ^ "Best of 1993: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  8. ^ "And the Winners Are . . ". The New York Times. 1994-03-02. pp. C 22. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
  9. ^ a b c "36th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  10. ^ "GRAMMY Award Results for Billy Stritch". Grammy Awards. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  11. ^ McEntire, Reba; Carter, Tom (2015). Reba: My Story. Random House Publishing Group. p. 273. ISBN 9780804181181. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (2006-05-13). "At the Metropolitan Room, Billy Stritch Pays Tribute to Mel Tormé". The New York Times. pp. C 13. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  13. ^ a b c O'Haire, Pat (December 8, 2006). "Q AND A LIZA MINNELLI'S ARRANGER BILLY STRITCH". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Billy Stritch". Playbill Vault. September 30, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  15. ^ Minnelli, Liza (June 25, 2018). "Liza Minnelli shared a video". Facebook. Retrieved September 30, 2019. I loved working with Billy Stritch. He is a wonderful music director and is just as gifted of a singer. We've had some fun together over the years!
  16. ^ Harrington, Douglas MacKaye (May 26, 2009). "A Fine Evening With Liza And Billy Stritch". Hamptons.com. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  17. ^ "Billy Stritch Discography". All Music. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Meltzer, Laura (August 14, 2012). "Billy Stritch Connects Industries Through Networking". Backstage. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  19. ^ Gans, Andrew (February 20, 2003). "Murney, Butz, Testa Plus Mom Newman Celebrate Amanda Green's New CD at March 17 Concert". Playbill.
  20. ^ Cling, carol (August 22, 2013). "Singer Billy Stritch paying tribute to Mel Torme (sic.)". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  21. ^ "Amazon.com". Amazon. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  22. ^ Dayton, Barry (January 14, 2017). "Temple Isaiah's intimate evening with Linda Lavin and Billy Stritch". Desert Sun. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  23. ^ Hagen, Paul (May 10, 2018). "Linda Lavin and Billy Stritch are "The Best of Friends" at Café Carlyle". Metrosource. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  24. ^ Daniels, Robert L. (December 18, 2006). "Christine Ebersole and Billy Stritch". Variety. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  25. ^ de Lesseps, Luann (May 18, 2018). "Luann de Lesseps: I'm Working With the Best in the Business". BravoTV. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  26. ^ a b Reed, Rex (December 4, 2013). "Two's a Crowd: Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso Cover the Waterfront". New York Observer. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  27. ^ Lescalleet, Cynthia (October 24, 2014). "Billy Stritch and the Great American Songbook : Just One of Those Things". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  28. ^ "Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch to Stage THE SINATRA CENTURY in Brampton". Broadway World. September 29, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  29. ^ Hammond, Candace (August 11, 2016). "Billy Stritch headlines P'town Jazz Fest". Provincetown Banner. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  30. ^ Culhane, Grady (August 10, 2019). "Marilyn Maye and Billy Stritch Performing at Cotuit". Cape Code magazine. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
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