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Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient
William 'Count' Basie
WILLIAM "COUNT" BASIE
Awarded by
President Ronald Reagan
May 23, 1985
For more than half a century, William "Count" Basie enraptured the people of America with his brilliant and innovative work in the field of jazz. In the 1930's and 40's, the Count became part of the fabric of American life as the leader of one of the greatest bands of the Big Band Era. His songs, from "April in Paris" to "One O'Clock Jump," are American classics. Count Basie cut a notch in musical history and found a place in our hearts forever. Among the royalty of American arts and entertainment, there is no one more honored and more beloved than the Count.
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Medal History
