Pianist & bandleader
Count Basie
Led one of the great swing orchestras for almost fifty years, on a rhythm section so light and precise that it changed how big bands kept time.
William James "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, his minimalist piano style, and others.
- Born
- 1904-08-21, Red Bank, New Jersey, USAA Sunday
- Died
- 1984-04-26, Hollywood, Florida, USAA Thursday, aged 79
- At birth
- Sun in Leo, Moon in Capricorn
- Nationality
- United States
- Birth-time source
- No birth time on record: Rodden X
Born
Died
At birth
Nationality
Birth-time sourceBirth Chart
1904-08-21, Red Bank, New Jersey, USA · time unknown, noon chart
America/New_Yorkthe zone used then
America/New_YorkThe chart
| Body | Sign | Degree | Motion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Leo | 28°10′ | Direct |
| Moon | Capricorn | 10°05′ | Direct |
| Mercury | Virgo | 25°25′ | Direct |
| Venus | Virgo | 10°24′ | Direct |
| Mars | Leo | 4°13′ | Direct |
| Jupiter | Taurus | 0°12′ | Retrograde |
| Saturn | Aquarius | 16°50′ | Retrograde |
| Uranus | Sagittarius | 26°02′ | Retrograde |
| Neptune | Cancer | 7°29′ | Direct |
| Pluto | Gemini | 21°32′ | Direct |
Death Chart
1984-04-26, Hollywood, Florida, USA · time unknown, noon chart
America/New_Yorkthe zone used then
The chart
| Body | Sign | Degree | Motion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | Taurus | 6°37′ | Direct |
| Moon | Pisces | 17°04′ | Direct |
| Mercury | Aries | 29°13′ | Retrograde |
| Venus | Aries | 23°14′ | Direct |
| Mars | Scorpio | 25°32′ | Retrograde |
| Jupiter | Capricorn | 12°56′ | Direct |
| Saturn | Scorpio | 13°34′ | Retrograde |
| Uranus | Sagittarius | 12°55′ | Retrograde |
| Neptune | Capricorn | 1°16′ | Retrograde |
| Pluto | Scorpio | 0°34′ | Retrograde |
Their Astrocartography
Where each planet sat on one of the four angles at the moment Count Basie was born. Tap a line to read what the tradition associates with it.
Cast for noon, as the birth time is unknown, so the longitudes are approximate.