Baby Face Willette

American jazz organist

Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (September 11, 1933 – April 1, 1971) was an American hard bop and soul jazz musician who played the Hammond organ.

He was born Roosevelt James Willett (no "e"), in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1933 according to researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc, though other sources state 1934 or 1937. According to the liner notes on his first Blue Note album, Grant’s First Stand, Willette was born in New Orleans. His mother was a missionary who played the piano in the church where his father was a minister. As a result, his musical roots were in gospel. Willette became involved in music by playing the piano for various gospel groups, and accompanied his sisters Dorothy and Georgia, who toured and recorded as the Willett Sisters. He spent his early career travelling across the United States, Canada and Cuba, as pianist with the bands of King Kolax, Joe Houston, Johnny Otis and Big Jay McNeely, among others. He made his first recording as Baby Face Willette ("Wake Up, Get Out" b/w "Cool Blues") in Los Angeles in 1952, but soon moved to Chicago and married. He recorded tracks including "Can't Keep From Lovin' You" and "Why" for Vee Jay Records that year, but they were not released until late 1955. The first was named in honor of the Moroccan Village, where the trio that made this album had been performing since the previous autumn. Later, he regularly played piano and organ at a neighborhood lounge on the west side of Chicago, the Squeeze Club on 16th and Homan. After some time in California, failing health forced a return to Chicago, where his family resided. He died in 1971, from bronchial pneumonia.