Bill Tillman
DOB Unknown – August 29, 2012
Bill Tillman was a gifted saxophone player and flutist who is perhaps best remembered for his three years playing in popular American rock band, Blood, Sweat & Tears. Like contemporaries, Chicago, BS&T pioneered the use of a horn section as a lead instrument in rock music. Tillman played in the group’s horn section between 1974 and 1977 and can be heard on eight of their albums. Born and raised in Texas, Tillman was recognized by the Texas Public School Board as the most outstanding musician of 1965. He soon hit the road, playing tours for the likes of Gladys Knight – as music director, the Coasters, Chuck Berry, and Roy Orbison. In 1978, Tillman began a two-year run as a soloist for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He also released a handful of his own albums beginning in the ’80s and culminating with 2000’s Altogether. On August 29, 2012, Bill Tillman passed away after reportedly hitting his head during a fall in his bathroom. He was 65 and was awaiting a was apparently on a waiting list for a kidney transplant.