Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Beegie Adair was born Bobbe Gorin Long on December 11, 1937 in Cave City, Kentucky. She began playing the piano at the age of five and graduated from Caverna High School in 1954. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in music education at Western Kentucky University in 1958.

Relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1961 she worked as a children’s music teacher for three years. There she played in Printer’s Alley and became a member of a jazz band led by Hank Garland. Beegie would go on to accompany Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Ray Stevens, Steve Allen, Chet Atkins, Cass Elliot, Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. At various times she played for the Noon Show on WSM-TV, The Johnny Cash Show and other programs.

Partnering with Denis Solee in 1982 they established the Adair–Solee Quartet, which evolved into the sextet Be-Bop Co-Op. She released her debut solo album as a leader in 1988 with Escape to New York, then formed the Beegie Adair Trio, which sold more than 1.5 million albums.

Throughout her 60-year career Beegie appeared on more than 100 recordings. Of these, 35 were recorded by her trio which included bassist Roger Spencer and percussionist Chris Brown. She released a six-CD centennial collection, The Great American Songbook Collection. 

Adair was an adjunct professor of jazz studies at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. She was a faculty and board member of the Nashville Jazz Workshop, where she often performed. She was named a Steinway Artist and was inducted into Western Kentucky University’s Hall of Fame, Cave City’s Hall of Fame and was the inaugural recipient of Nashville Jazz Workshop’s Heritage Award.

Pianist and bandleader Beegie Adair, whose career spanned more than 60 years, died at her home in Franklin, Tennessee on January 23, 2022, at the age of 84.

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