Sun Ra

Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano, synthesizer player, and poet. He was known for his experimental music. For much of his career, Ra led "The Arkestra", an ensemble with an ever-changing name and flexible line-up.

Sun Ra
Sun Ra circa 1973
Background information
Birth name	Herman Poole Blount
Also known as	Le Sony'r Ra (legal name)
Born	(1914-05-22)May 22, 1914 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Died	May 30, 1993(1993-05-30) (aged 79) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.
Genres	Avant-garde jazz, free jazz, jazz fusion, experimental, bebop, space music
Occupation(s)	Bandleader, composer, arranger, artist, poet
Instruments	Piano, organ, keyboards, Minimoog, celesta, percussion, vocals
Years active	1934–1993
Labels	El Saturn Records, Thoth Intergalactic, Impulse!, MPS, ESP-Disk, Black Saint, A&M, Leo, Rounder
Associated acts	Arkestra

From the mid-1950s until his death, Ra led the musical band known as The Arkestra. Its performances often included dancers and musicians dressed in futuristic costumes inspired by Ancient Egyptian.

Ra died of a stroke caused from heart and respiratory failure at a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama on May 30, 1993 at the age of 79.

Sun Ra Media

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  Sun Ra at the New England Conservatory of Music, February 27, 1992

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  The Sun Ra Arkestra performing in London in 2010.

Related pages

• List of poets from North America