orig. William Clarence Eckstein
born July 8, 1914, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.
died March 8, 1993, Pittsburgh
U.S. singer and bandleader.
Eckstine sang with bebop , Eckstine engaged many of its innovators, including {{link=Gillespie, Dizzy">Dizzy Gillespie , Charlie Parker , and Sarah Vaughan . Disbanding the group in 1947, he achieved greater popular success as a solo performer, specializing in ballads that featured his deep, resonant baritone. He was one of the greatest interpreters of popular song and blues in jazz.