Billy Bang
Billy Bang was an innovative jazz violinist. He was born as William Walker in
Alabama, but moved to Harlem, New York at a young age and was given a violin at
junior school. He acquired the nickname of Billy Bang, a popular cartoon
character at the time. At school in Massachusetts he played the drums with
fellow student Arlo Guthrie.
He was drafted to fight in the Vietnam war and after returning to America he
became involved in the anti-war movement. In the late 1960s, inspired by John
Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and jazz violinist Leroy Jenkins, he returned to the
violin and s...
