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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZAUSTIN, Sil(b Sylvester Austin, 17 Sep. '29, Dunnellon FL) Tenor sax, leader. Won talent show at Apollo theatre '46 with "Danny Boy'. Worked for Roy Eldridge '49, Cootie Williams '49-52, Tiny Bradshaw '52-4. Wrote a song called "Ping-Pong'; his favourite solo of his own was on Bradshaw's record of it; Ella Fitzgerald recorded it, bestowed nickname Ping-Pong on Austin. Formed own band, signed with Mercury, had several R&B hits; "Slow Walk' made no 3 R&B, no. 17 pop chart '56. His ambition was to start a Basie-ish big band, but he was born too late for that. |