At the age of three he began playing drums. He designed double-bass drum set-up at the age of 15 and won Slingerland National Gene Krupa contest at the age of 17. He became  a bandleader, composer and jazz educator. He reached such acclaim that his appearances at the White House placed second only to Bob Hope. 

Italian-American jazz drummer Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni is best known by his stage name as Louie Bellson among his fans. Not only was this he also a bandleader, composer and jazz educator. He is the man who used two bass drums at a time and gained fame for it. 

Bellson performed at almost all the major capitals around the world and received appreciation for his musical skills. Louie Bellson and his wife late singer and actress Pearl Bailey performed together, and they made several appearances at the White House and placed second after Bob Hope. He also served as vice president at a drum company Remo. 

At the age of three he began playing drums and his keen interest in musical instruments earned so much popularity for him. He designed double-bass drum set-up at the age of 15 and won Slingerland National Gene Krupa contest at the age of 17. In The Powers Girl he performed with Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman band and after it he performed in The Gang's All Here . 

The Big Band Explosion was his last band. He suffered from Parkinson's disease and in 2008 his broken hip made more health complication for him and he died on February 14, 2009 at the age of 84. 

Percussive Arts Society and Modern Drummer magazine voted him into the Halls of Fame. In 1977 he was named as Duke Ellington Fellow by the Yale University. Not only had this Northern Illinois University also honored him with an honorary Doctorate. 

http://www.infocuts.com/story/article-003249
 

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