Bill Pursell

Bill Pursell was an American pianist. He had a brief but successful career as a pop musician before continuing on as a session musician.

Pursell was born in Oakland, California and raised in Tulare. He studied composition in Baltimore and arranged for the U.S. Air Force Band while serving in World War II. [ [http://www.oldies.com/artist-biography/Bill-Pursell.html Bill Pursell] at Oldies.com; information provided by Muze.] In the 1950s he worked with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and taught at Vanderbilt University. In 1962 he signed with Columbia Records, who released a full-length album of his entitled "Our Winter Love". The album reached #28 on the Billboard 200 [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dpfuxqe5ldde~T5 Billboard] , Allmusic] on the strength of the popularity of the title track, which hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to hitting #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #20 on the Black Singles chart. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dpfuxqe5ldde~T51 Billboard Singles] , Allmusic] The arrangements for the album were made by Bill Justis, and the orchestra was conducted by Grady Martin.

Pursell later recorded for Epic, Alton, and Dot, but never hit the pop charts again. He played piano on many of Johnny Cash's albums in the 1960s, and worked as a session musician and arranger for Patsy Cline, Johnny Paycheck, Hoover, Joan Baez, Eric Andersen, Scotty Moore, J.J. Cale, Willie Nelson, and others.

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