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Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (/ɡɪˈlɛspi/; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and singer.[1]

Gillespie was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge[2] but adding layers of harmonic and rhythmic complexity previously unheard in jazz. His combination of musicianship, showmanship, and wit made him a leading popularizer of the new music called bebop. His beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, his scat singing, his bent horn, pouched cheeks, and his light-hearted personality provided some of bebop's most prominent symbols.[1]

In the 1940s Gillespie, with Charlie Parker, became a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz.[3]

He taught and influenced many other musicians, including trumpeters Miles Davis, Jon Faddis, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Arturo Sandoval, Lee Morgan,[4] Chuck Mangione,[5] and balladeer Johnny Hartman.[6]
Composer
Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993
Lyricist
Henry, Sonny, 1932-