- Born
- Died
- Birth nameByron Yanks
- Byron Janis was born on March 24, 1928 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and composer, known for Hannibal Rising (2007), Untitled Byron Janis Project and Cooper and Hemingway: The True Gen (2013). He was married to Maria Cooper Janis and June Dickson Wright. He died on March 14, 2024 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
- SpousesMaria Cooper Janis(April 11, 1966 - March 14, 2024) (his death)June Dickson Wright(November 22, 1953 - August 12, 1965) (divorced, 1 child)
- ChildrenStefan Janis
- ParentsSamuel YankilevitchHattie Horelick
- Son-in-law of Gary Cooper and Sandra Shaw.
- Pianist and composer.
- Had a son, Stefan Jude Janis (1955-2017) with ex-wife, June Dickson Wright.
- At age 10, he fought with his sister and put his hand through a glass door, cutting the little finger on his left hand down to the bone. He suffered from hand problems for the rest of his life, essentially playing with only nine fingers. When he was in his forties, he developed psoriatic arthritis that spread to both hands and wrists, causing great pain. He become a spokesman for the Arthritis Foundation, for which he played several benefit concerts.
- His discography covered repertoire from Bach to David W. Guion and included major piano concertos from Mozart to Rachmaninoff and Liszt to Prokofiev.
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