3 Facts About the Inspiration for Waltz for Debby

The song was inspired by a real child named Debby Eaton. She was the young niece of Bill Evans’s friend and manager Helen Keane.

The waltz came from watching the child play. Evans observed her at play and turned that moment into music.

The title directly references the child’s name and the waltz time signature. It is a straightforward tribute to a simple, joyful scene.