Bill Doggett (1916-1996)

By Rivka Willick

Doggett brought the sound of R & B and soul jazz to a wider audience.

William Ballard Doggett was born in the right place at the right time.  Born in Philadelphia he watched popular music evolve into Rock and Roll.  His mom played the piano at church and gave him his first lessons.  He started making money at 15 as part of a jazz band which played at local clubs.

Jobs were tough to find in the 1930’s, but he was able to played for both Lucky Millinder‘s and Jimmy Mundy’s band.  He got a break in 1942 and was hired as the Ink Spots arranger and pianist.  In 1947 he changed jobs once again and played piano for the Louis Jordan Band, where he began playing the Hammond organ.  He reportedly wrote the hit “Saturday Night Fish Fry” but Jordan took the writing credit.

Doggett signed with King Records in 1951 after forming his own trio.  The 1956 R & B hit “Honky Tonk” soared to #1 on the R&B charts and #2 on Billboard’s Pop Chart. His other hits included “Slow Walk”, “Hold it”, “Rainbow Riot”, and “Monster Party.”

Doggett’s name as an arranger spread and he wrote for music greats like Louis Armstrong, Ella Ftzgerald, and Count Basie.