TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Webster Young was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 3, 1932. Though he left South Carolina as a toddler, the musical seeds planted there would flourish elsewhere.
Inspired by Louis Armstrong, he took up the trumpet at around age ten, later drawing influence from Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie. His playing ultimately echoed the lyrical restraint of Miles Davis.
After serving in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955, Young entered the vibrant New York jazz scene, performing alongside giants like Davis, John Coltrane, and Jackie McLean.
His recordings are few but notable, including a 1957 session dedicated to Billie Holiday. Over the years, he performed and lived in cities across the U.S.
Young’s career reminds us that South Carolina's roots can nurture talent that resonates across the nation and generations.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.