William James “Count” Basie was born on August 21, 1904.

Known to the world as the “King of Swing,” Brother Basie was initiated at the Mu Nu Chapter at Louisiana Tech University in 1970. He was a true innovator leading the band for almost 50 years and recording on over 480 albums. In his lifetime, he earned nine Grammy Awards and made history in 1958 by becoming the first African-American to receive the award.

Basie and his Orchestra appeared in five films, all released within a matter of months in 1943: Hit Parade, Reveille with Beverly, Stage Door Canteen, Top Man, and Crazy House.

He has had an unprecedented four recordings inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame – One O’Clock Jump (1979), April in Paris (1985), Everyday I Have the Blues (1992), and Lester Leaps In (2005), along with a slew of other awards and honors not only for his music, but for his humanitarianism and philanthropy around the world.