(April 22nd 1906 - February ? 1937)

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas on April 22nd 1906, Alex Hill was a musical prodigy who learned to play the piano from his mother. He attended Shorter College and got his first job arranging for territory bandleader Alphonse Trent. In 1922 Hill began touring with various ensembles and traveled to California where he arranged for groups including "Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders". He settled in Chicago by 1927 playing with Jimmy Wade and Jimmie Noone. While touring with Sammy Stewart in 1930 the pianist relocated to New York where he became the staff arranger for the Mills Music Company working for artists including Duke Ellington. In 1935 at the height of his career Alex Hill fell ill from the devastating effects of tuberculosis and moved back to his hometown where he died sometime during February 1937.