The legendary composer and musician, Bill Pursell, proudly releases classics from the Maestro, with his CD entitled "MILLENNIUM."

Mr. Pursell is an American composer, who had a brief but successful career as a pop musician before continuing on as a session pianist to some of the most recognized names in the industry including Johnny Cash, Boots Randolph, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, Johnny Paycheck, Hoover, Joan Baez, Eric Andersen, Scotty Moore, J.J. Cale, Willie Nelson, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Dylan and others. Years later, Pursell was named Composer of the Year by the Tennessee Music Teachers Association as a member of the faculty of the School of Music at Belmont University sharing his knowledge with talents such as Trisha Yearwood and Brad Paisley to name a few and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) at Eastman School of Music.

In 1962 he signed with Columbia Records, who released a full-length album of his entitled "Our Winter Love" the following year.  Pursell's "Our Winter Love" became one of the biggest selling recordings of 1963 and has carved out a small but meaningful niche for itself in the annals of pop history.  The album reached #15 on the Billboard on the strength of the popularity of the title track, which hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in addition to hitting #4 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #20 on the Black Singles chart. The arrangements for the album were made by Bill Justis and Pursell, and the orchestra was conducted by Grady Martin.  His follow up single “Loved” reached Billboard position 121.  Pursell later recorded for Epic, Henry Stone’s Alston, and Dot.  A highlight of his career was playing for the press corp dinner at the White House for President John F. Kennedy (Pictured Far right with other noted performers including Bob Moore, Buddy Harman, Shelley Winters, Alan King, Chet Adkins, and President Kennedy center).

Today, his daughter, Actress and singer, Laura Pursell, continues with family tradition with the recent release of her latest CD, entitled "The Very Last Dance Hall Left in L.A." by Bill Pursell & Laura Pursell. She received her first national attention when she sang for Betty and President Gerald Ford, reaching international acclaim when she was invited to perform in St. Petersburg, Russia, Dublin Ireland.  Since then, she has recorded 5 albums and performed with some of the greatest jazz musicians on the west coast.

Bill Pursell was born in Oakland, California and raised in Tulare. He studied composition in Baltimore and arranged for the U.S. Air Force Band while serving in World War II. Bill Pursell studied classical composition under Howard Hanson at the Eastman School of Music and earned a master’s in composition in the mid-fifties. His symphonic poem “Christ Looking Over Jerusalem” (the first movement of “Three Biblical Scenes for Orchestra”) was the inaugural recipient of the Edward B. Benjamin Prize in 1953. Later that decade, he worked with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and taught at Tennessee State.

For interviews, press, high res photos and updated biography please send an email to harlan@bhbpr.com or call 626.296.3757