Ulysses Simpson Kay, Jr., was a prominent black composer in the 20th century classical music scene. He was born in Tucson, Arizona, into a family with strong musical talents. His mother, Elizabeth Kay, played piano for their church. Kay's step-brother played violin and his step-sister also played piano. Although his father, Ulysses Kay, Sr., did not play instruments, he enjoyed music and singing. Kay was also close to his uncle, King Oliver, a well-known jazz musician. As a child, Kay learned piano, violin, and saxophone. In high school, he participated in the glee club, marching band, and jazz band. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1938 with a degree in music education. Kay continued his studies at Eastman School of Music, where he wrote his first compositions. In 1941, he attended the Berkshire Music Center and studied with Paul Hindemith. He also spent a year at Yale University for further music studies. In 1942, Kay joined the U.S. Navy and played in the Navy band during World War II, learning several band instruments. After the war, he studied composition at Columbia University, supported by a fellowship. He then went to Rome on a series of scholarships to continue his education. Kay married Barbara Harrison in 1949, and they lived in Rome where their first daughter was born. They returned to the U.S. in 1953 and had two more daughters. Between 1953 and 1968, Kay worked as a music consultant for Broadcast Music, Inc. In 1968, he became a professor at Lehman College in New York and taught there until 1988. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1979. Kay composed about 140 works, including operas, orchestral pieces, choral music, and chamber works. His ballet Danse Calinda appeared in 1941, and his well-known work Of New Horizons: Overture premiered in 1944. He passed away in 1995 at age 78 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, living in Englewood, New Jersey at the time.