His subjects included Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Hines, Jo Stafford, Thelonious Monk, Stan Kenton, Ray McKinley, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Louis Jordan, Ella Fitzgerald, Toots Thielemans, Cab Calloway, and Benny Carter.

[3][4] Gottlieb was born on January 28, 1917, in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, and grew up in Bound Brook, New Jersey where his father was in the building and lumber business.

[1] After World War II, Gottlieb moved to New York City to pursue a career in journalism.

In 1948, Gottlieb retired from jazz journalism in order to spend more time with his wife, Delia, and their children.

After William left Down Beat, he began working at Curriculum Films, an educational filmstrip company.