Billy Tipton

Billy Tipton
Tipton, c. 1966
Background information
Born	(1914-12-29)December 29, 1914 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	January 21, 1989(1989-01-21) (aged 74) Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, swing
Occupation(s)	Musician, talent agent
Instrument(s)	Piano, saxophone[1]
Years active	1936–late 1970s
Labels	Tops

Billy Lee Tipton (December 29, 1914 – January 21, 1989) was an American jazz musician, bandleader, and talent broker. Tipton lived and identified as a man for most of his adult life; after his death, friends and family were surprised to learn that he was transgender.

Tipton's music career began in the mid-1930s when he led a band for radio broadcasts. He played in various dance bands in the 1940s and recorded two trio albums for a small record label in the mid-1950s. Thereafter, he worked as a talent broker. Tipton stopped performing in the late 1970s due to arthritis.