Dallas saxophonist and former Blood Sweat & Tears band member Bill Tillman died Wednesday morning in Houston. He was 65.
Known for his flashy sax work and husky vocals, Mr. Tillman dominated the stage, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at nearly 300 pounds.
Also a gifted flutist, he recorded eight albums with Blood, Sweat & Tears and toured nationally with artists such as Roy Orbison, Gladys Knight and Chuck Berry. From 1978 to 1980, he was also a soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
With an ability to switch effortlessly from jazz to classic rock to swing and standards, Mr. Tillman eschewed the traditional horn player’s role in the background and instead preferred to front the Bill Tillman Band. He spent decades playing area clubs such as Popsicle Toes, Memphis, the Village Country Club and the Arcadia Ballroom.
“He played every grand ballroom of every hotel you can name,” said his son Anthony Tillman.
Mr. Tillman was known for stage antics such as tearing phone books in half.
“At Memphis in Addison, people would toss phone books up onstage and the new guys in the band didn’t know why,” his son recalled. “His legacy is a joy.”
A Plano resident for most of the last 30 years, Mr. Tillman was awaiting a kidney transplant and was in Houston for medical treatment, staying at the home of his mother, Marilyn K. Miller. He died after hitting his head in an early-morning fall in the bathroom.
In addition to his mother and son, five other children survive him. His son Barrett Alexander Tillman died in 2000.
Place