Billy Mitchell was born in Tarrytown, New York and raised in Buffalo. He started playing the piano at age five, but he didn’t take up music seriously until he enrolled at Morehouse College. He joined the school’s jazz band while he was completing his political science degree. Soon, he was playing gigs around Atlanta. Mitchell left Atlanta in 1970 to pursue his career. He soon supported Gloria Lynn, Ester Philips, Randy Crawford, Linda Hopkins and Linda Hopkins. Blue City Jam (1984), Night Theme (1987), were his first solo albums. They captured the urban-flavored Quiet Storm style, which was just before smooth jazz began. Faces (1988), and In Focus (1991), rose to the top of Billboard’s contemporary jazz charts, and continue receiving international airplay. Mitchell’s PRC 2001 release Never Give Up on Love is a dynamic and soulful session that combines Mitchell’s passion for jammin’ and jazz.
