Gil Askey

Gilbert Askey (March 9, 1925 – April 9, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, producer and musical director who was born in Austin, Texas, and emigrated to Australia in 1988.

Askey was born in Austin, Texas, on March 9, 1925, but left at the age of 17. He completed two years of university on a medical scholarship.

In 1980, he married an Australian woman whom he had first met in 1973 and the pair moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1988.

Askey was considered to be "one of the architects of the legendary Motown sound".Berry Gordy often called Askey "The glue that kept everything together".

Askey studied music at the Boston Conservatory of Music and the Harnett School of Music in New York.

He performed with many famous musicians, some of the biggest jazz legends, including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, and even did a duet with Billie Holiday. He worked as a musical director for many well-known acts, including Diana Ross, both with and without The Supremes, the Four Tops, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight, Keni Burke and Linda Clifford.

Askey played as a jazz trumpeter for almost 25 years before arriving at Motown Records to work as a musical director, producer, songwriter and musical arranger for such artists as Billy Eckstine, Gladys Knight, The Temptations, The Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5 and The Funk Brothers. Askey was also part of Motown's Artists Development crew that included Maxine Powell, Maurice King, Cholly Atkins and Harvey Fuqua.

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