Hillsborough's newest state highway marker, celebrating
the life and work of musical composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn, will
be unveiled at 10 a.m. Nov. 29 - Strayhorn's birthday - in downtown
Hillsborough.

The marker will be installed on the west side of Churton Street, in
front of the Orange Rural Fire Department. Thomas J. Campanella, a UNC
associate professor of urban design, will give a brief welcome. Then
Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens will unveil the marker.

Campanella, also a member of the Hillsborough Planning Board, put
together the application for the highway marker. Also instrumental in
establishing the marker were Mike Hill of the N.C. Office of Archives
and History and Barry Coble of the N.C. Department of Transportation.

In addition to the unveiling of the new historical marker, a tribute
concert to Billy Strayhorn will take place at 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at the
Hillsborough Masonic Lodge, 142 W. King St. The concert, sponsored by
the Hillsborough Arts Council, will feature Robert Griffin and Maggie Pate.

Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. They may be purchased at
the Orange County Visitors Center, 150 E. King St., or online through
the Arts Council's Web site at
www.hillsboroughartscouncil.org/Concerts.html.

For more information on the concert, contact the Arts Council by phone
at 643-2500 or by e-mail at info@hillsboroughartscouncil.org.

For more information on the marker and unveiling, contact the Orange
County Visitors Center at 732-7741.

Strayhorn was one of the giants of American jazz in the 20th century. He
was a versatile composer, arranger and pianist and is best known for his
long collaboration with Duke Ellington. He joined the Ellington
orchestra in 1939 at age 22 and helped make Ellington a household name,
writing such numbers as "Take the 'A' Train" and "Lush Life."

Strayhorn was born in Dayton, Ohio, and spent much of his childhood in
Pittsburgh. However, both sides of his family were rooted in
Hillsborough, dating back to before the Civil War. His father and
grandfather worked at the Eno Mill in West Hillsborough, and Strayhorn
spent many childhood summers with his grandparents at their home on the
corner of South Hillsborough Avenue and West Margaret Lane. He began
playing the piano at his grandparents' home and attended his first year
of school at the former Hillsborough Academy. He gave his first musical
performances in Hillsborough.