Billy Strayhorn archives are now featured at the Library of Congress

This week’s KUVO Stories of Standards featured artist Billy Strayhorn is making headlines at the Library of Congress.

On the 103^rd Anniversary of Billy Strayhorn’s birthday (November 29th) The Library of Congress announced today that it has acquired the original manuscripts documenting Strayhorn’s work.  A collection that contains over 17,000 documents including photographs, personal papers, lyric sheets and more.

A favored highlight of the collection includes 3000 manuscripts that Strayhorn wrote such as vocal scores and lead sheets. Among other things in the collection are contracts regarding Strayhorn’s association with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), autographed letters, essays and compositions that Strayhorn wrote by himself or in partnership with Duke Ellington

Billy Strayhorn (who was born November 29, 1915) worked for Duke Ellington for close to 30 years as an arranger, composer, occasional pianist and collaborator and wrote/co-wrote more than 100 tunes for Ellington.

Duke Ellington once said, “Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine.”

Since his death on May 31, 1967 at the age of 51 due to cancer of the esophagus “his original manuscripts have been in the custody of the Strayhorn family and have been available only for limited scholarship” according to the Library of Congress.

More info available at the Library of Congress website.