Whitney Balliett
- February 1, 2007
- 80 years
- cancer
About Whitney Balliett
Whitney Balliett, 80, American jazz critic, cancer.
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Full Biography
|Whitney Lyon Balliett (April 17, 1926 – February 1, 2007) was a jazz critic and book reviewer for The New Yorker, which he wrote for from 1954 until 2001.
Biography
Balliett was born in Manhattan and was raised in Glen Cove, New York, on Long Island. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where he learned to play drums in a band he summed up as "baggy Dixieland"; he played summer gigs at a Center Island yacht club.
He was drafted into the Army in 1946, interrupting his freshman year at Cornell University, to which he returned to finish his degree in 1951 and where he was a member of Delta Phi fraternity. He then took a job at The New Yorker, where he was hired by Katherine White, one of the magazine's fiction editors. He went on to write more than 550 signed pieces for The New Yorker, as well as many anonymous pieces.
The New York Review of Books published a few articles by Balliett between 1998 and 2003.
Acclaimed for his literary writing style, Balliett died at his Manhattan home on February 1, 2007, aged 80, from liver cancer. He was survived by his second wife, Nancy Balliett, and his five children (from both marriages): James Fargo Balliett, Blue Balliett, Will Balliett, Julie Lyon Rose, and Whitney Lyon Balliett Jr.
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Articles & News
- "Whitney Balliett, New Yorker Jazz Critic, Dies at 80"nytimes.com
- "Whitney Balliett"newyorker.com
- "Obituary | Whitney Balliett"theguardian.com
- Whitney Balliett's contributions to The New Yorkernewyorker.com
Reported coverage of Whitney Balliett; each link opens the original article on the publisher's own site.
Books & Media
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Balliett
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 15 questions
Questions drawn from Whitney Balliett's archived record and the sources above.
1.In what city was Whitney Balliett born?
- A.Cornell
- B.Glen Cove
- C.Long Island
- D.Manhattancorrect
Whitney Balliett was born in Manhattan.
Source: Biography section
2.What instrument did Whitney Balliett learn to play at Phillips Exeter Academy?
- A.Trumpet
- B.Saxophone
- C.Drumscorrect
- D.Piano
Whitney Balliett learned to play drums in a band at Phillips Exeter Academy.
Source: Biography section
3.During which year was Whitney Balliett drafted into the Army?
- A.1960
- B.1954
- C.1946correct
- D.1951
Whitney Balliett was drafted into the Army in 1946, which interrupted his studies at Cornell University.
Source: Biography section
4.Which university did Whitney Balliett attend where he was a member of the Delta Phi fraternity?
- A.Harvard University
- B.Yale University
- C.Columbia University
- D.Cornell Universitycorrect
Whitney Balliett was a member of the Delta Phi fraternity at Cornell University.
Source: Biography section
5.Who hired Whitney Balliett for his job at The New Yorker?
- A.John Fordham
- B.Katherine Whitecorrect
- C.Nancy Balliett
- D.Adam Gopnik
Whitney Balliett was hired at The New Yorker by Katherine White, one of the magazine's fiction editors.
Source: Biography section
6.Which publication besides The New Yorker published articles by Whitney Balliett between 1998 and 2003?
- A.The Talk of the Town
- B.The Guardian
- C.The New York Review of Bookscorrect
- D.Oxford University Press
The New York Review of Books published a few articles by Whitney Balliett between 1998 and 2003.
Source: Biography section
7.What was the cause of Whitney Balliett's death?
- A.Heart disease
- B.Stroke
- C.Respiratory failure
- D.Liver cancercorrect
Whitney Balliett died at his Manhattan home from liver cancer.
Source: Biography section
8.In what year did Whitney Balliett publish 'The Sound of Surprise: 46 pieces on jazz'?
- A.1960correct
- B.1971
- C.1966
- D.1954
Whitney Balliett published 'The Sound of Surprise: 46 pieces on jazz' in 1960.
Source: Bibliography section
9.Which publisher released 'Alec Wilder and His Friends' in 1974?
- A.Bobbs-Merrill Company
- B.Houghton Mifflincorrect
- C.Oxford University Press
- D.St. Martin's Press
Houghton Mifflin published 'Alec Wilder and His Friends' in 1974.
Source: Bibliography section
10.How many children was Whitney Balliett survived by?
- A.Fivecorrect
- B.Six
- C.Four
- D.Three
Whitney Balliett was survived by his five children.
Source: Biography section
11.Which book by Whitney Balliett focuses on Buddy Rich?
- A.Jelly Roll, Jabbo, and Fats
- B.Super-drummercorrect
- C.American Singers
- D.New York Voices
Whitney Balliett wrote the book 'Super-drummer: A Profile of Buddy Rich' in 1968.
Source: Bibliography section
12.What is the name of Whitney Balliett's second wife?
- A.Julie Lyon Rose
- B.Nancy Balliettcorrect
- C.Katherine White
- D.Blue Balliett
Whitney Balliett was survived by his second wife, Nancy Balliett.
Source: Biography section
13.In what year did Whitney Balliett's tenure at The New Yorker end?
- A.2000
- B.1998
- C.2001correct
- D.2007
Whitney Balliett was a jazz critic and book reviewer for The New Yorker from 1954 until 2001.
Source: Biography section
14.Which of these titles was published by the University Press of Mississippi?
- A.Goodbyes and Other Messages
- B.Collected Works
- C.New York Voices: Fourteen Portraitscorrect
- D.American Musicians
Whitney Balliett published 'New York Voices: Fourteen Portraits' with the University Press of Mississippi in 2006.
Source: Bibliography section
15.Where was Whitney Balliett raised?
- A.Center Island
- B.Cornell
- C.Glen Covecorrect
- D.Manhattan
Whitney Balliett was raised in Glen Cove, New York, on Long Island.
Source: Biography section
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