L
Music
Louis Bellson
1924–2009Rock Falls, ILItalian American descendantHistoric
Portrait not yet licensed
Public-domain portraits will be added in a future wave.
Why Included
Duke Ellington's drummer
Biography
Duke Ellington's drummer; innovated the double bass drum; born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni; married Pearl Bailey. Grammy Award winner; innovated double bass drum; played with Ellington, Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey
Notable For
- Duke Ellington's drummer
- innovated the double bass drum
- born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni
- married Pearl Bailey
Honors & Recognition
- Grammy Award winner
- innovated double bass drum
- played with Ellington, Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey
Suggest a Correction
If you believe this entry contains an error, outdated information, or a sourcing issue, we want to hear from you.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Music
- Specialty
- Jazz
- Years
- 1924–2009
- Birth Place
- Rock Falls, IL
- Origin
- Italian American descendant
- Regional Ancestry
- Italian
- Ancestry Verification
- Needs Review
More in Music
- Frankie Avalon(b. 1940)
- Joey Badass(b. 1995)
- Pat Benatar(b. 1953)
- Tony Bennett(1926–2023)
Know someone we should add?
The list grows through community nominations. Help us expand toward 1,000.
Nominate a figure →