Francis Edward Bigham, a pianist and bandleader known as "Eddie" and beloved by generations along the Main Line died on July 28, 2007. He was 87. The youngest of ten children born into a Wayne, PA. family, Eddie showed promise during his early years of classical piano training, but was introduced to jazz by his older brother, Jack, a guitarist (and acquaintance of Eddie Lang). While attending West Catholic High School, Eddie abandoned his classical studies upon falling under the spell of Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole and Art Tatum. He grew up in a vibrant Philadelphia music scene, honing his skills while playing with talented friends that included the young Buddy DeFranco and his brother Lenny. Eddie was soon leading bands and off to a life-long career as a professional musician. Eddie entered St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1939, and was elected class president in his sophomore year. While there, he wrote the College Alma Mater (later attributing this accomplishment to his having first enlisted the College dean to write the lyric). Eddie and his older brother Bob enlisted in the Army in January 1942 but Eddie, ever the quiet perfectionist, avoided opportunities to play with mediocre service bands, instead settling into a clerk's position with the Army Air Force. Nevertheless, his talent could not be hidden and would soon be exploited. While stationed in England in 1942, Eddie was coaxed by his Army friends to sit in on piano at a club named "The Nut" on Regent Street where he was spotted by a writer for the London jazz/pop publication Melody Maker. As a result of this writer's intervention, Eddie ended up as a long-running featured pianist on a BBC show with a six piece Dixie outfit led by Englishman Harry Perry. After the invasion of North Africa, Eddie's unit was sent there in 1942, where he continued working as a clerk. Here, Eddie was once again coaxed to the piano, this time to audition as accompanist for the very first USO tour, featuring a group dubbed "The Four Jills", with actress, comedienne and singer Martha Raye and three Hollywood starlets, the dancer Mitzi Mayfair, and actresses Carole Landis and Kay Francis. Eddie easily landed the job, and was assigned (through the intervention of Raye) to Special Services for a tour with the group. Eddie formed a friendship with Ms. Raye and continued to work with her in the post-WWII era. A stunning March 8, 1943 Margaret Bourke-White Life Magazine "photo of the week" told the story of the tour, capturing Eddie at the piano, with Ms. Raye standing on an improvised stage in one of the group's early performances in North Africa, playing to beaming members of an Army bomber squadron. The adventures of this early Martha Raye-led tour were later the vehicle for a film starring Raye, titled "Three Jills and A Jeep," with Phil Silvers was cast as the jeep-driving, quipping piano player, "Eddie."


The "Four Jills" tour of North Africa ended after a few weeks, with all but Martha Raye returning to the states. Raye continued on, accompanied by Bigham, through April 1944, their stops covering not only Africa, but also South America. Following Raye's return to the states, Eddie joined a special services unit, performing regular piano features on Armed Forces radio, first out of Casablanca, and later in broadcasts from Italy. In April 1945, shortly before V-E day, Eddie was allowed a brief visit home. A New Yorker Magazine piece from that month, describing life aboard the troop carrier, included a sketch of Eddie, hard at work entertaining the troops on the cruise back, the piece included some typical examples of the good-natured quipping which was his trademark then, and for the next 60 years. After the stateside visit, Eddie was shipped back to Europe to provide his services in occupied Germany.


In civilian life, Eddie returned to St. Joseph's College, graduating in 1948. Thereafter, he plied his trade from New York, to Florida, often wintering at "The Breakers" and playing at the Club Taboo on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, on occasion with Martha Raye. A versatile pianist, and skilled entertainer, Eddie's first love was jazz, and during the 1950's he was often working at such long gone Philadelphia jazz spots as Ciro's, The Click, Palumbo's, The Rendezvous, and Billy Krechmer's 'Jam Session' either with his trio, solo, or accompanying touring jazz stars of the late '40s and early 1950's. Eddie was also a Philadelphia television pioneer, leading his group, "Three Men and A Maid" on his own show in the early 1950's. Eddie worked steadily in the late 1950's at Fred Waring's Pocono resort, Shawnee on the Delaware, featured on piano, and backing touring artists. In the early 1960s, Eddie's childhood friend Joe Flagler persuaded Eddie to put together a big band for a series of annual concerts for charity, held in the Wayne theater. One concert featured singer Bob Eberle, another jazz organist Jackie Davis, another Glenn Gray, and all were broadcast live on Philadelphia network radio stations. The concerts were a hit, drawing sell-out crowds of over a thousand.


In 1962, Eddie met and then married, Mary Lutza, and raised a family. During the next 40 years, Eddie was a fixture in the Main Line country clubs, Philadelphia Country Club, Overbrook, Aronomink, and Merion Cricket Clubs, and in the Summers at the Buck Hill Falls resort, and at Skytop, leading bands and leaving his mark on generations along the Main Line. In the early 1990's, when Eddie was in his 70's, he was advised to slow down by his cardiologist. As a result, Eddie began his "retirement job" at Yang Ming restaurant in Rosemont, playing three nights a week when he was not busy with other solo piano and small group engagements, but limiting his travel to the Philadelphia area. Typical for Eddie, the appearances at Yang Ming led to an ever-expanding crowd of "regulars", and his playing, and charm would just as regularly draw toddlers to circle around the piano. Eddie's declining health forced him to abandon the job in December 2005. Eddie was appreciated not only for his seemingly limitless repertoire, unmistakable strong "beat" and flawless technique, but as well for his kindness, compassion, and a lovable quick, wry Irish wit which kept all rolling to the end. He will not be forgotten. Eddie is survived by his wife, Mary, daughters Carly Ryan (Greenbelt, Maryland), Mary Jo Zell (Dallas, Texas), and son John (long time pianist for Chubby Checker), and two grandchildren, Sophie and Sam. His oldest son, Francis Edward, Jr., died in 1994. Eddie is also survived by his sister, Fran Self, of Wayne, and brother Robert, living in New Jersey.


A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday August 8, 10:30 AM at St. Thomas of Villanova Church on the Villanova University Campus, Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA. Relatives and friends may call at the church after 9:30 AM. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to American Heart Association, Memorial Fulfillment Center, 777 Penn Center Blvd., Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or to Malvern Retreat House, P.O. Box 315, Malvern, PA 19355-0315.