William Lawrence Callanan Jr.

William (Bill) Lawrence Callanan, Jr., 82, of Las Vegas, passed away on July 10, 2024, surrounded by his family. Although he spent most of his life in Las Vegas, Bill was a "Jersey Boy" at heart. He was raised in Nutley, New Jersey, where his prodigious talent for music was evident at the age of five when Bill started playing the family piano. He and his younger brother James became the family entertainers, performing duets at local parishes, fraternal organizations, and the famed Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

By the time Bill attended Nutley High School, he was an accomplished keyboardist who started playing gigs around North Jersey and was voted the "top talent" in 1959. His rhythm and blues band included a future Oscar-winning actor named Joseph Pesci, who played guitar, a future professional football player named Donald Chuy, who played the accordion, and future Nutley Police Chief Robert DeLitta, who played the saxophone. In 1960, Bill became fascinated with the B3 after seeing the Bill Doggett band perform in Newark, dramatically shaping his playing style. During this period, he began to expand on his musical collaborations and could be seen rehearsing with emerging icons, including Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, and Frankie Valli.

While attending Manhattan School of Music, Bill was asked to join a rock and roll group in 1962 known as Joey Dee & the Starliters. The group performed regularly at a nightclub on 45th Street in New York City called the Peppermint Lounge and eventually became the house band. They recorded the chart-topping hit "Peppermint Twist" and were one of the most popular bands of that time. The group was featured on the "Murray the K" show and on the stage of the legendary Apollo Theater. The Starliters included renowned artists David Brigati and Eddie Brigati of the Young Rascals, as well as Jimmy Hendrix. Around the same period, Bill recorded an instrumental R&B crossover single for King Curtis called "Soul Twist."

In 1967, while touring the "Chitlin' Circuit" with his own B3-organ jazz trio, Bill was offered an opportunity to play at the Desert Inn Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. He took that offer and remained in Las Vegas. Bill played in various local casino lounges, including the famous Moulin Rouge. Shortly after settling in Las Vegas, Bill decided to go back to school. While playing gigs at night, he attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas during the day, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education in 1974.

For over five decades, Bill played in the orchestra pits of Las Vegas, backing up famous headliners such as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Robert Goulet, Ann Margaret, and Englebert Humperdinck. Bill was also the assistant conductor of the 18-piece orchestra for the Lido De Paris show at the Stardust Hotel, where he made lifelong friends, too numerous to mention here.

Those musicians who played with him on the Lido gig will attest to Bill's talent for not only playing the show but also reading a book while simultaneously playing the show. One could say he was multi-talented that way. Bill was a proud member of Musicians Local 369 and a strong proponent of keeping live music on The Strip.

Bill retired from the nightly performances in 2011 and formed a jazz quartet of Las Vegas all-stars—Thom Pastor, Hap Smith, and Paul Testa—called the "B3 Conspiracy." The group performed in Japan, Singapore, and Las Vegas. As an acknowledgment of Bill's lifetime contribution to music, the Township of Nutley, New Jersey, inducted Bill into the Nutley Hall of Fame in 2023.

Bill was preceded in death by some talented musician friends who contributed to his musical journey. He loved playing "the funk" with them.

As much as Bill loved music, he loved his family even more. He is predeceased by his parents, William Callanan, Sr., and Mary Callanan (née Finneran), as well as his brother, James.

Bill is survived by his wife of 62 years, Janet Callanan (née Maioran); daughter Patty Coaley and husband Don; grandsons Corey (Vanessa) and Cameron Coaley, and great-grandson Caellum and step great-granddaughter Leila; daughter Mary Pike and husband Don; granddaughters Kylie and Alexis; sisters-in-law Francis Maioran and Dorothy Callanan; sons-in-law Chris Coaley and Sonny Brown; nephews James, Brian and Kevin (Jen) Callanan, niece Shannon (Jeffrey) Branch, and the Thrasher and DeMera kids.

Visitation, funeral service, and committal service will be held on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at Palm Mortuary—Northwest, 6701 North Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89131. Visitation hours are 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Funeral services are from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Committal services are from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider an honorary donation in Bill's name to Jazz Outreach Initiative, a Nevada non-profit organization that seeks to increase the community's exposure to jazz studies and awareness, focusing on students of all ages. JOI was founded by Las Vegas native Kenny Rampton, who is currently a member of The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. His father, Roger Rampton, was part of the Lido de Paris orchestra.