Editing Count Basie (section)

===Early life and education===
William Basie was born to Lillian (Childs) and Harvey Lee Basie in [[Red Bank, New Jersey]].<ref>Basie Centennial Ball.</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Basie| first=Count| year=2000| title=Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie| publisher=Paladin Grafton Books| isbn=0-586-08638-2| page=[https://archive.org/details/goodmorningblues00basie/page/25 25]| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/goodmorningblues00basie/page/25}}</ref> His father worked as a [[coachman]] and caretaker for a wealthy judge. After automobiles replaced horses, his father became a groundskeeper and handyman for several wealthy families in the area.<ref>Basie, Count (1985). ''Good Morning Blues'', p. 26.</ref> Both of his parents had some type of musical background. His father played the [[mellophone]], and his mother played the [[piano]]; in fact, she gave Basie his first piano lessons. She took in laundry and baked cakes for sale for a living. She paid 25 cents a lesson for Count Basie's piano instruction.<ref name="Count Basie, 1985, p. 33">Basie (1985), p. 33.</ref><ref>Count Basie and his Friends, myspace.com.</ref>

The best student in school, Basie dreamed of a traveling life, inspired by touring carnivals which came to town. He finished junior high school<ref>Basie (1985), p. 29.</ref> but spent much of his time at the Palace Theater in Red Bank, where doing occasional chores gained him free admission to performances. He quickly learned to improvise music appropriate to the acts and the [[silent movie]]s.<ref>Basie (1985), p. 32.</ref>

Though a natural at the piano, Basie preferred drums. Discouraged by the obvious talents of [[Sonny Greer]], who also lived in Red Bank and became [[Duke Ellington]]'s drummer in 1919, Basie switched to piano exclusively at age 15.<ref name="Count Basie, 1985, p. 33"/> Greer and Basie played together in venues until Greer set out on his professional career. By then, Basie was playing with pick-up groups for dances, resorts, and amateur shows, including Harry Richardson's "Kings of Syncopation".<ref>Basie (1985), pp. 33–34, plate 3.</ref> When not playing a gig, he hung out at the local pool hall with other musicians, where he picked up on upcoming play dates and gossip. He got some jobs in [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]] at the [[Jersey Shore]], and played at the Hong Kong Inn until a better player took his place.<ref>Basie (1985), p. 41.</ref>