Billy Nalle
April 24, 1921 - June 7, 2005


Billy Nalle of Fort Myers, Florida, died on June 7, 2005. He was born in Fort Myers April 24, 1921, and is survived by one sister, Maria Bogia, of Massies Mill, Virginia.

Billy graduated from Fort Myers High School in 1939 with the distinction of having received the American Legion School Honor Award. From 1933 to 1939 he was pianist of the Al Linquist Jazz Orchestra of Fort Myers. Following his audition at the Julliard School of Music, New York, he received a full scholarship for the study of piano and organ. His principle teachers were the organ and piano virtuoso: Gaston Dethier, and the celebrated jazz pianist: Teddy Wilson. Nalle served in the U.S. Navy, 1943 to 1946, and during his last year of service was assigned to the U.S.N. Entertainment Unit, where he and Bob Fosse toured the Pacific Ocean military bases. During 1947 and 1948 he did postgraduate studies at The Julliard School, and then began a 26 year career of music in New York City for more than 200 major network television shows on CBS, NBC, and ABC. In 1975 Billy accepted the position of Artist-in-Residence at the Century II Center, Wichita, Kansas, where the world famous New York Paramount Theatre organ had been installed. For eleven years he played concerts in the Wichita Pops Series, made numerous recordings, and concertized nationally. He received international acclaim in 1993 when the American Theatre Organ Society voted him into the Theatre Organists Hall of Fame. In 1995, Nalle ended a fulltime career and returned to Fort Myers, Florida, where he lived until his death.

Burial will be in the Nalle Family plot at the Fort Myers Cemetery. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.