A native Long Islander was behind the bass lines in some of the most memorable jazz tunes of all time, and while he never became a household name, his family remembers him for the star that he was.

Lloyd Trotman, of Huntington, gave sound and soul to hundreds of hits in the 1950s and 60s. He plucked the toe-tapping rhythm that's recognized around the world in the 1961 single, "Stand By Me," which launched singer Ben E. King to stardom.

Trotman's signature sound brought soul to the Platters' hit, "My Prayer." It added sweetness to the Chordettes' song "Lollipop," and it gave some swing to the Drifters' "Save the Last Dance for Me."

Throughout Trotman's career, the inspiration for his music came from a woman who put a song in his heart for 62 years: his late wife, Gertrude. "She was his other half," says Trotman's daughter, Linda Trotman. "They were one. They were together all the time."

The sideman to the stars died back in 2007 at age 84, but the legacy of Trotman's sound shines on every time someone plays one of the famous tunes that he helped to make.

Linda Trotman is now compiling her father's recordings and photos, and says she plans to write a book about his contributions to music history.