William McKinney

William McKinney is among the elite artists in black classical music to have an ensemble of immense historic importance named after him. Never mind that the image associated with McKinney's Cotton Pickers is not one that anyone is very happy about, the surname McKinney itself no doubt mingling down from some plantation owner. While this is the name forever linked with the cotton-picking band, much of the credit for quality music in the outfit's set list goes to Don Redman and Benny Carter, both acknowledged geniuses of the jazz arranging discipline. McKinney had the good sense to hire them, however, having stepped over from a combination of drummer and bandleader to management duties. He only stayed in the music business for a couple of decades, most of which was spent running bands, not playing in them.



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