Career
Lonnie Hillyer moved with his family to Detroit at age three, and began studying music at 14 under Barry Harris. In 1960, he moved to New York, where he played with Charles Mingus, Yusef Lateef, and Clifford Jarvis. Lonnie Hillyer"s association with Mingus lasted more than a decade, performing on records such as "My Favorite Quintet" and "Let My Children Hear Music".
In 1966, Lonnie Hillyer and Charles McPherson formed a quintet performed together during the years following.
McPherson also grew up with Hillyer in Detroit. Around 1983 he and (former Monk tenor saxophonist) Charles Rouse formed a jazz quintet ("Bebop Quintessence"), with (drummer) Leroy Williams, (pianist) Hugh Lawson and (bassist) Ben Brown.
Hillyer performed live with many musicians including Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Willie Bobo, Barry Harris, Walter Davis, Junior., Abbey Lincoln, and many others He died of cancer in July 1985.