Bill Holman was born May 21, 1927 in Olive, California, growing up in Orange and Santa Ana.

He took up the clarinet in junior high school, tenor sax in high school and also formed his own band. His musical studies took him to the Westlake College of Music where he studied with Dave Robertson and Dr. Alfred Sendry and took private lessons with Russ Garcia for composition and arranging and Lloyd Reese for saxophone.

From 1949-50 he played with the Ike Carpenter Band, then Charlie Barnet in 1951 and played and wrote for Stan Kenton from 1952-53; he continued writing for Kenton through 1956 and occasionally after. He is well known for being active in the West Coast Jazz movement of the 50's as a player and as a writer. During this time he also played in small groups including the Conte Candoli Quintet, 1955, the Shelley Manne Quintet, 1955; Shorty Rogers' Giants, 1957 and in 1958 co-led a quintet with Mel Lewis.

Then in 1975 he formed the Bill Holman Band which continues to be active appearing in clubs, and performing concerts and festivals. The band has released three CD's on the JVC label "The Bill Holman Band", (1988), "AView From the Side" (1995), and "Brilliant Corners" (1997). All three had Grammy nominations.

Bill Holman has made a name for himself as a writer and arranger for Barnet, Count Basie, Louis Bellson, Tony Bennett, Bob Brookmeyer, Michael Buble, June Christy, Natalie Cole, Buddy de Franco, Maynard Ferguson, The Fifth Dimension, Terry Gibbs, Woody Herman, Lee Konitz, Peggy Lee, Mel Lewis, Carmen McRae, Gerry Mulligan, Mark Murphy, Anita O'Day, Art Pepper, Buddy RIch, Diane Schuur, Doc Severinsen, Zoot Sims, Mel Torme, Sarah Vaugn, Joe Williams, Phil Woods and others.

From 1988-2002 he worked regularly in Europe; writing and conducting and playing concerts and radio productions in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, England and Scandinavia. HE has had yearly productions with the West German Network Band in Cologne, Germany and the Metropole Orchestra in Hilversum, Holland in 1995.

He has had 14 Grammy nominations and in 1987 won the Best Instrumental Arrangement of "Take the A Train" for Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra. In 1995 he won for Best Instrumental Composition for "A View From the Side" and in 1997 again for Best Instrumental Arrangement of "Straight, No Chaser".

Jazz Times Readers' Polls voted him Best Arranger in 1990, 1994, 1997 and 1998.

Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll voted Bill Arranger of the Year in 1998, 1999 and 2000; and the Downbeat Readers Poll voted him Arranger of the Year in 1998, 1999 and 2003.

He has also conducted composition/arranging clinics and master clkasses at Berkle, Eastman, Manhattan and Grove Schools of Music and many Universities across the United States.