for the Arts. As one of three recipients, he was lauded by NEA chair Jane Alexander, who said, "These colossal talents have helped write the history of jazz in America." Personal life On November 19, 1952, Bellson married American actress and singer, Pearl Bailey, in London. Bellson and Bailey adopted a son, Tony, in the mid-1950s, and a daughter, Dee Dee (born April 20, 1960). Tony Bellson died in 2004, and Dee Dee Bellson died on July 4, 2009, at age 49, within five months of her father. After Bailey's death in 1990, Bellson married Francine Wright in September 1992. Wright, who had trained as a physicist and engineer at MIT, became his manager. The union lasted until his death in 2009. On February 14, 2009, Bellson died at age 84 from complications of a broken hip suffered in December 2008 and Parkinson's disease. He is buried next to his father in Riverside Cemetery, Moline, Illinois. Discography As leader 1952 Just Jazz All Stars (Capitol) 1954 Louis Bellson and His Drums (Norgran) 1955 Skin Deep (Norgran) compiles Belson's 10 inch LPs The Amazing Artistry of Louis Bellson and The Exciting Mr. Bellson 1954 The Exciting Mr. Bellson and His Big Band (Norgran) 1954 Louis Bellson with Wardell Gray (Norgran) 1954 Louis Bellson Quintet (Norgran) also released as Concerto for Drums by Louis Bellson 1954 Journey into Love (Norgan) also released as Two in Love 1955 The Driving Louis Bellson (Norgran) 1956 The Hawk Talks (Norgran) 1957 Drumorama! (Verve) 1959 Let's Call It Swing (Verve) 1959 Music, Romance and Especially Love (Verve) 1957 Louis Bellson at The Flamingo (Verve) 1959 Live in Stereo at the Flamingo Hotel, Vol. 1: June 28, 1959 1961 Drummer's Holiday (Verve) 1960 The Brilliant Bellson Sound (Verve) 1960 Louis Bellson Swings Jule Styne (Verve) 1961 Around the World in Percussion (Roulette) 1962 Big Band Jazz from the Summit (Roulette) 1962 Happy Sounds (Roulette) with Pearl Bailey 1962 The Mighty Two (Roulette) with Gene Krupa 1964 Explorations (Roulette) with Lalo Schifrin 1965 Are You Ready for This? (Roost) with Buddy Rich 1965 Thunderbird (Impulse!) 1967 Repercussion (Studio2Stereo) 1968 Breakthrough! (Project 3) 1970 Louie in London (DRG) 1972 Conversations (Vocalion) 1974 150 MPH (Concord) 1975 The Louis Bellson Explosion (Pablo) 1975 The Drum Session (Philips Records with Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Paul Humphrey) 1976 Louie Bellson's 7 (Concord Jazz) 1977 Ecue Ritmos Cubanos (Pablo) with Walfredo de