Walter Bishop Sr.

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Walter Bishop Sr. (January 9, 1905 – January 8, 1984) was a Jamaican-American drummer, composer, and songwriter. He was born in Jamaica and later moved to the United States, living in Harlem’s Sugar Hill. In the 1920s and 1930s he played drums on recordings by Alex Hill and Jabbo Smith. He wrote songs that others recorded, including Swing, Brother, Swing (Billie Holiday with Count Basie), Jack, You’re Dead (Louis Jordan’s 1947 hit), The Stuff Is Here (and It’s Mellow), Bop! Goes My Heart, and My Baby Likes to Bebop (recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and by Nat “King” Cole with Johnny Mercer). His calypso Sex is a Misdemeanor was recorded by Vanessa Rubin. He was the father of jazz pianist Walter Bishop Jr.