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Percy Brice

1923 – 2020

American musician

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About Percy Brice

Lived 1923 – 2020 (aged 96–97). Percy Brice was an American musician.

Austin Percy Brice Jr. (March 25, 1923 – November 2020), nicknamed Big P, was an American jazz drummer.

Brice was born in March 1923 in New York City. His professional career began around the end of World War II, when he played with Benny Carter, Mercer Ellington, Luis Russell, and Eddie Cleanhead Vinson. He played frequently in Harlem in the early 1950s with Tiny Grimes, Oscar Pettiford, Tab Smith, Lucky Thompson, and Cootie Williams, in addition to leading sessions at Minton's Playhouse. He then played with Billy Taylor (1954-1956), George Shearing (1956-1958), and Kenny Burrell (1958–59); from 1959 to 1961 he played behind Sarah Vaughan on tour.

Brice was Harry Belafonte's drummer for most of the 1960s; he also worked with Ahmad Jamal, Carmen McRae and Mary Lou Williams in that decade. He led a group called the New Sounds in the early 1970s, and worked with Sy Oliver and Illinois Jacquet, as well as in Broadway orchestras, later in his career. He died in November 2020 at the age of 97.

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Important facts

Birth century
Died
2020
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Austin Percy Brice Jr.

People in Percy Brice's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Percy Brice's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Percy Brice?

American musician (1923-2020)

When was Percy Brice born?

Percy Brice was born on 25 March 1923 in New York City.

When did Percy Brice die?

Percy Brice died in 2020.

What was Percy Brice's occupation?

Percy Brice was a musician.

What nationality was Percy Brice?

Percy Brice was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Percy Brice

· Wikidata: Q1533200

· DBpedia: Percy Brice

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Percy Brice. https://biography.guide/percy-brice/

MLA: "Percy Brice." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/percy-brice/.

Chicago: "Percy Brice." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/percy-brice/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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