FINAL NOTES
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William W. Pursell June 9, 1926 – Sept. 3, 2020
D
istinguished composer, arranger, and keyboardist William W. "Bill" Pursell, 94, died Sept. 3, 2020. He moved to Nashville in 1960 on the invitation of Eddy Arnold, and became part of an elite group of musicians, producers, and arrangers present at the inception of what would become the “third coast” of the music business. He brought his gifted musicianship, gracious intellect, and inimitable style into the mix, and his contributions cannot be understated. He was a life member of the AFM who joined Local 257 June 17, 1960. Born June 9, 1926, in Oakland, California, Pursell was raised in Tulare. He studied composition at the Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, and arranged for the U.S. Air Force Band while serving in the military during World War II. After his service he studied classical composition at the Eastman School of Music and earned a masters in composition in the mid1950s. His initial musical award came quickly, when “Christ Looking Over Jerusalem,” the first movement of “Three Biblical Scenes for Orchestra,” was the recipient of the Edward B. Benjamin Prize in 1953. Pursell toured with a jazz trio and also played R&B on the road before his move to Nashville. Two years later he had signed as a solo artist with Columbia Records, and released the title track single “Our Winter Love,” which reached the Billboard Top 10 in 1963. The album and follow up single — “Loved” — also charted, but Pursell soon transitioned into session and live performance work — which included what he termed a career highlight of playing with Chet Atkins for President John F. Kennedy in the White House. He played on a plethora of recording sessions for Owen Bradley and others in the vibrant formative days of the Nashville Sound, and his session work reads like a who’s who of the era. The list includes Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash,
Boots Randolph, Joan Baez, J.J. Cale, Willie Nelson, Marty Robbins, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Dylan and many others. In addition to his frequent live appearances and studio sessions, Pursell also worked with the Nashville Symphony, and taught at Tennessee State and Vanderbilt University. In the ‘70s he was nominated for two Grammy awards. The first was his performance on the album Listen for the singer Ken Medema in 1974. The second was for his 1978 arrangement of “We Three Kings” for a National Geographic album.
“Bill Pursell was one of Nashville's greatest stars! Not only was he an amazing composer and arranger, but Bill could play ANYTHING on the piano. From classical, country, pop to jazz — he could do it all." — Lori Mechem 28 THE NASHVILLE MUSICIAN
