My Hero Lester Young

The demise of Lester Young (Prez)

...he sheltered himself away from the world with a wall forged of empty bottles of gin and bourbon. Racism, the constant criticism of his sound and his music, his best friend’s death, and his traumatic experience in the military were painful memories that would haunt him throughout the remainder of his life, he had lost his ambition and whatever passion that he might of had for life had all but faded away. He entered his hotel room and sat down in front of the window overlooking Birdland, moving only to refill his glass, and to finger his imaginary sax, playing along to Frank Sinatra until his hands could no longer move. When the doctor arrived it was already too late, all he could do was confirm his death, and so, fifteen years after leaving Count Basie, Lester Willis Young died on March 15th 1959 of a cardiac arrest brought on by malnutrition and cirrhosis of the liver. A few months later, Lady Day followed suit.