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William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff was the real name of stride piano giant Willie "the Lion" Smith. The native of Goshen, New York earned his nickname for heroism during the First World War. Upon his return from the front, Smith established himself in Harlem as a top stride stylist and played on the historic 1920 recording session resulting in Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues." Smith recorded as a leader in the 1930s and 1940s for the Decca and Commodore labels. He was a composer who earned the admiration of Big Band leaders Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey, both of whom recorded arrangements of Smith’s tunes. His contemporary and friend, Duke Ellington recorded a tribute called "Portrait of the Lion," and Smith, in turn, wrote and recorded "Portrait of the Duke." Among Smith's best known compositions are "Echoes of Spring" and "Passionette."
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