Jazz Musician. A native of New York, New York, he was a noted pianist of the Be-bop era. Mainly a jazz session musician he was a member of Art Blakey's group, 17 Messengers. The son of composer Walter Bishop Sr., he grew up in Harlem, New York, in the section known as Sugar Hill. As a young man he became interested in music and became good friends with the likes of Sonny Rollins, Art Taylor, and Kenny Drew. In 1947, after being inspired by the music of Bud Powell, Art Tatum, and Nat King Cole, Bishop began playing the club circuit in Manhattan, New York, and then got gigs playing with famous jaz personalities like Kai Winding, Oscar Pettiford, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, and the great Charlie 'Bird' Parker. In 1960, he became a member of a jazz band along with trombonist Curtis Fuller, eventually forming his own band with trombonist Jimmy Garrison and drummer G.T. Hogan, a year later. In 1964, he began touring with Terry Gibbs, and later studied music at the prestige Juilliard School. In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he became a freelancer with local musicians and the Blue Mitchell Band. From 1972 to 1975, he taught classes at local and private classes on jazz theory. He returned to New York in 1975, and in 1976, he wrote the book, "A Study In Fourths." In 1977, he returned to music and played in several bands with trumpeter Clark Terry, and also led more of his own groups up into the 1980s. He returned to teaching in the early 1980s, when he joined the faculty team at the University of Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut. Bishop continued to work at both teaching and music throughout the rest of the 1980s and until his death on January 24, 1998, at the age of 70. His last public appearances included a 1983 solo concert at Carnegie Hall, and at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, which is held on the Lower East Side of New York City. A veteran of World War II, he served as a Private First Class in the United States Army.