Willis Conover

Willis Conover
Conover broadcasting with Voice of America in 1969
Background information
Born(1920-12-18)December 18, 1920
DiedMay 17, 1996(1996-05-17) (aged 75)
OccupationsBroadcaster and producer

Willis Clark Conover, Jr. (December 18, 1920 – May 17, 1996) was an American jazz producer and broadcaster on the Voice of America for more than forty years. He produced jazz concerts at the White House, the Newport Jazz Festival, and for movies and television. By arranging concerts where people of all races were welcome, he is credited with desegregating Washington, D.C. nightclubs. Conover is credited with keeping interest in jazz alive in the countries of Eastern Europe through his nightly broadcasts during the Cold War.