Eddie Heywood
Eddie Heywood, born Edward Heywood Jr. on December 4, 1915, in Atlanta, Georgia, was a distinguished American jazz pianist and composer, particularly active during the 1940s and 1950s. He was introduced to music by his father, Eddie Heywood Sr., a jazz musician from the 1920s, who provided him with piano training from the age of 12. Heywood began his career playing in the pit band of a vaudeville theater in Atlanta, where he occasionally accompanied singers like Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters.
As vaudeville declined, Heywood moved to New Orleans and then to Kansas City, eventually joining the orchestras of Wayman Carver in 1932 and Clarence Love from 1934 to 1937. In 1938, he relocated to New York City, where he played with Benny Carter from 1939 to 1940. In 1940, Heywood formed his own band and occasionally accompanied Billie Holiday in 1941.
Heywood gained significant popularity with his sextet in the mid-1940s, particularly after their 1944 hit version of "Begin the Beguine," which sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc from the RIAA. However, in 1947, Heywood suffered a partial paralysis of his hands, temporarily halting his career. He made a comeback in 1951 and achieved further success with compositions like "Land of Dreams," "Soft Summer Breeze," and "Canadian Sunset," the latter peaking at number 2 on the charts in 1956.
Despite another bout of paralysis from 1966 to 1969, Heywood continued to perform and compose into the 1980s. He passed away on January 3, 1989, in Miami Beach, Florida, at the age of 73, after suffering from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Heywood's contributions to jazz were recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1709 Vine Street.