The jazz program host introduced America's musicians to listeners behind the Iron Curtain and around the world Washington, D.C., April 23, 2009 - "Willis Conover Day" is April 25 under a congressional proclamation that honors the legendary Voice of America (VOA) jazz program host who introduced America's musicians to listeners behind the Iron Curtain and around the world. Conover will be honored during the "Big Band Jam" on the National Mall. The congressional resolution, sponsored by Rep. John B. Larson, D-Conn., recognizes VOA and Conover for their "joint contribution toward spreading the language of jazz and American cultural diplomacy around the world over a span of more than 35 years." Born in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1920, Conover joined the VOA in 1955, hosting the first in a series of jazz programs that ultimately claimed millions of listeners round the world."At the height of his career, [Conover] was producing 17 shows per week, including Music USA, Jazz; Music USA, Standards; Music with Friends, and Willis Conover's House of Sounds. These programs included interviews with popular artists including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and many, many more," said John Stevenson, chief of VOA English. "Every emotion - love, anger, joy, sadness - can be communicated with the vitality and spirit that characterize jazz," Conover once said. He died in 1996. "People used to say that Willis Conover single-handedly felled the Iron Curtain," said Harry Schnipper, major organizer of the "Big Band Jam." The jam helps educate students about America's jazz heritage and brings jazz bands to Washington, D.C.
(VOA Press Release)
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