Violinist Billy Bang died on April 11. According to an associate, he had been suffering from lung cancer. Bang was 63. Born in Mobile, Alabama as William Vincent Walker, Bang was raised in the Bronx and began playing the violin at a very young age. He was given the nickname Billy Bang in homage to a cartoon character.
Although he won a scholarship to a prestigious boarding prep school in New England, Bang ended up dropping out and returning to the Bronx. Alienated from formal education, Bang gave up the violin. He was drafted into the Army at the age of 18 and served in Vietnam until his discharge a few years later.
Although he got his G.E.D. in the Army and studied pre-law and even went to law school for a short time, Bang bounced around at various jobs after his release from the military and eventually picked up the violin again. He dedicated himself to relearning the instrument and became part of the downtown loft jazz scene of the 70s.
Bang played briefly with the Sun Ra Arkestra and in 1977 inspired by the approach of the World Saxophone Quartet he formed the New York String Trio with John Lindberg and James Emery, with whom he would play regularly for many years. Bang also developed his own career as a solo artist and bandleader. Over the next 20-30 years, Bang would collaborate with many of the greats of the improvising jazz scene, including William Parker, Hamiett Bluiett, Sun Ra, Don Cherry, David Murray and many others. He recorded over 30 albums including many for the Canadian Justin Time label.
