Hometown Honor For Nashville Jazz Great

Beegie Adair

Beegie Adair returns to her hometown with honors this weekend. The veteran Nashville pianist, session musician, jingle writer and jazz performer will be saluted in Cave City, Ky. on Saturday (May 11). The town is dedicating its community center in her name on that day.

Born Bobbe Gorin Long, she is a native of Cave City. After getting her music degree at nearby Western Kentucky State University, she taught piano and played in jazz bands in the area. She moved to Music City in the 1960s and was soon in-demand as a session musician. Her studio work included recordings by Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee and Mama Cass Elliott. She also worked in the house band at WSM-TV and on the Johnny Cash TV show in 1969-71.

Beegie and husband Billy Adair formed a jingle company in the 1970s. In the 1980s, she restarted her performing career by teaming up with saxophone player Denis Solee in a series of Nashville jazz ensembles. In the late 1980s, she hosted the NPR radio show Improvised Thoughts. She has recorded 34 instrumental albums.

In 2002, Beegie Adair was made a prestigious Steinway Artist, which places her in the company of Diana Krall, Billy Joel and Harry Connick Jr. In 2010, she was the biggest-selling jazz artist in Japan.

She continues to perform at jazz clubs and festivals locally, nationally and internationally. Beegie Adair is a faculty member of the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Husband Billy is an associate professor of jazz studies at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music. This year, she plans to author her first book.