Dizzy Gillespie
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer and composer.
Dizzy Gillespie | |
|---|---|
 Dizzy Gillespie in 1955 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Birks Gillespie |
| Born | October 21, 1917 Cheraw, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1993 (aged 75) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1935–1993 |
| Associated acts | Charlie Parker, Cab Calloway |
As an instrumentalist, bandleader, singer, and composer, Gillespie was the youngest of nine children. His father was a local bandleader, so instruments were made available to him at an early age.[1] He started to play the piano at the age of 9.
Nicknamed Dizzy because of how he acts during performances, Gillespie set new standards for trumpet players with his innovative rhythmic and harmonic explorations. This definitive change moved American jazz from swing to 'bebop'. Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of modern jazz.
Gillespie died on January 6, 1993 at age 75 from pancreatic cancer. At the time of his death Gillespie had two funerals. One was a Bahá´í funeral at his request, at which his closest friends and colleagues attended. The second was at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City open to the public where everyone can attend.[2]
Dizzy Gillespie Media
Gillespie in a publicity photo
Gillespie with John Lewis, Cecil Payne, Miles Davis, and Ray Brown, between 1946 and 1948
Gillespie holding memoir To Be or Not to Bop published in 1979
Gillespie in concert, Deauville, Normandy, France, July 1991
Gillespie performs with his bent trumpet in 1988.
Statue of Gillespie by Ed Dwight in his hometown of Cheraw, South Carolina
References
- ↑ "Early life". dizzygillespie.net. Archived from Dizzy Gillespie website UR the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ↑ Dizzy Gillespie Memorial. https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CEFDA163BF93BA35752C0A965958260. Retrieved 2008-06-18.