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For a short time, through years usually referred to as his "commercial period," he played with bands and orchestras; composing, arranging and orchestrating for popular groups. His professional life began as an employee of W. C. Handy, of Memphis, who was known as "father of the blues." He worked in the Handy Publishing Company, and traveled with the Handy band.
He was in the orchestra pit, playing oboe, for the New York run of the 1921 Broadway hit, Shuffle Along. He played at the Plantation Club, also on Broadway. At various times he worked for Earl Carroll, Artie Shaw, Sophie Tucker, Don Voorhees and Paul Whiteman. As an arranger and conductor he worked for both CBS and Mutual networks. Many critics counted him largely responsible for the popularity of the favored "Deep River Hour." He was commissioned to do the theme music for the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Throughout this period he played a wide variety of instruments. He composed, arranged and orchestrated with the entire musical group in mind; and scored as though many men were but a single instrument on which he, the conductor, was playing. Thus he gained a broadly based knowledge which was invaluable to him when he finally turned his back on financial considerations, and began to concentrate exclusively on serious composing.
He was born in Woodville, Mississippi, May 11, 1895, the son of William Grant and Carrie Lena (Flambro) Still. Both his parents were college bred teachers. His father taught music at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama; and died when his son, William, was but three months old. Mrs. Still brought her tiny son to Little Rock and began to teach in the schools there.
