NORMAN SIMMONS

Norman Simmons (October 6, 1929– May 13, 2021) was an American musician, arranger, composer, educator, and most prominently a pianist who worked extensively with Helen Humes, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Anita O'Day, and Joe Williams among others.

Pianist Norman Simmons in Binghamton NY, 1973.

Biography

Simmons was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 6, 1929. During the early 1950s, he was house pianist at the Beehive Lounge on East 55th Street, playing with visiting musicians such as Wardell Gray, Lester Young and with Charlie Parker on his final Chicago performance in February 1955.

In 1966, his arrangement for Ramsey Lewis' hit of "Wade in the Water" became a large commercial success. He was a member of the Ellington Legacy Band from 2002.