Lawrence Dixon

Lawrence William "Beau" Dixon was born on September 5, 1894, in Chillicothe, Ohio. He was the second of five children of William Dixon and Nettie A. Scott, himself becoming a notable figure in the American jazz scene. Dixon's early introduction to music, influenced by his father who was a part-time musician, was instrumental in shaping his career.

In his early career, Dixon played in Chicago and Columbus, Ohio from around 1923 to 1928 with Sammy Stewart's Ten Knights of Syncopation. This group made recordings with Paramount Records, and it was during this time that Dixon had the chance to work with Vance Dixon's Jazz Maniacs, Fess Williams, Dave Peyton, Paul Jordan, Clarence Moore, and Grant Williams.

Dixon’s career saw a significant development in 1931 when he joined Earl Hines's band, one of the top jazz bands of the era, serving as the rhythm guitarist and arranger till 1937. His contributions to Hines’s band were essential and aided in reinforcing Dixon’s status as a key figure in the jazz genre. Additionally, in the 1950s and 1960s, Dixon was associated with Franz Jackson's Original Jass All Stars based in the Chicago area.

Unfortunately, Dixon suffered from pulmonary emphysema and tuberculosis for many years, which led to his death on January 16, 1970, in Chicago. Despite his passing, Dixon's music and influence continue to be celebrated by jazz enthusiasts and scholars alike.

For more about his works, you can visit his MusicBrainz page. His life is also documented in The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, edited by Barry Kernfeld.