William Asher Sailes was born November 10, 1917, in Denver , CO to Della Mae Street and John Wade Sailes. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of 13. He attended Jefferson High School and participated in football, tennis and track. However his first love was music.
He and his brother had a band in Los Angeles in their teens. Some sidemen were Dexter Goshen, Ernest Royal and Britton Woodmen.
He entered the Navy in 1942 - was stationed at Great Lakes, IL where he played piano in two band. He was also stationed in Boston, MA. He was also called a dry dock Navy musician.
After leaving the Navy, he lived in Albany, NY working and playing music for various groups. He was pianist for the great trumpet player Rex Steward.
After leaving Steward's bank, he joined Skippy Williams Band. Skippy played saxophone for Count Basie. He's traveled throughout the East Coast and Midwest, to places like Illinois, Michigan, Canada, Ohio, New York, Cumberland, MD, where he met his wife Lorraine Byrd.
He stopped in Omaha in 1957, to visit his father John W. Sailes a drummer. He arrived in Omaha at 5pm, got a job with Earl Graves at 7pm at Cococabana Club and has been here for 50 years.
"Big Daddy" has played with Cliff Dudley and Basie Given.
Most important is his own ban "gents of Swing". Some of his sidemen have been Mason Prince, Luigi Waites, Walter Harrold, Sr. and Jr., Albert Percheval, William "Bill " Parr, Larimon Lattimore, and Gayland Prince. Some of his singers were Merle Lewis, Carolyn Rich (Rich), Barbara Clarity, who has a group in San Francisco, Dee Doumous.
Right now he is enjoying retirement, but still very much interested in music.
He has always wanted to be a good piano artist, which he achieved by living in omaha. "Big Daddy Sailes" is asked about by all who have listened, to his music at Club 89, Club 64, Hilton Hotel, Cococabana Club, Allen's Showcase, and the Colony Club.
He has always been and will always be an Omaha legacy.
Lorraine Byrd Sailes
