02/21/1933 - 04/21/2003
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), also known by her stage name Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music.
Simone aspired to...
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08/06/1930 - 08/14/2010
Anna Marie Wooldridge (August 6, 1930 – August 14, 2010),better known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress.
09/23/1930 - 06/10/2004
Ray Charles Robinson, better known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm & blues,gospel, and blues styles...
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01/15/1909 - 05/16/1973
Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an influential American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.
Kanghi Duta (Floyd Westerman)
08/17/1936 - 12/13/2007
Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, also known as Kanghi Duta (August 17, 1936 – December 13, 2007) was a Sioux musician, political activist and actor.
09/28/1913 - 03/20/2000
Vivian Fine (Chicago, 28 September 1913 - Bennington, Vermont, 20 March 2000) was an American composer.
01/22/1924 - 02/04/2001
J. J. Johnson (born James Louis Johnson, January 22, 1924, Indianapolis, Indiana; died February 4, 2001) was a United States jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. He was sometimes credited as...
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Jackie Wilson (Jack Leroy Wilson)
06/09/1934 - 01/21/1984
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement". He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in...
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05/26/1926 - 09/28/1991
Miles Davis was an American jazz composer, trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist and was one of the most influential, innovative and original musicians of the twentieth century.
12/25/1893 - 04/29/1957
Belle Baker (25 December 1893, New York City, New York – 29 April 1957, Los Angeles, California) was an American singer and actress. Popular throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Baker introduced a number of ragtime and torch songs including Irvin...
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02/13/1921 - 05/25/1955
Wardell Gray (1921–1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who straddled the swing and bebop periods. Today often overlooked, Gray's playing displays a unique style, an unmatched tone and a strong presence.
10/23/1949 - 07/09/2011
Michael Burston (23 October 1949 – 9 July 2011) commonly known by the stage name Würzel, was an English musician and formerly a guitarist in the British heavy metal band, Motörhead.
08/22/1917 - 06/21/2001
John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist, born near Clarksdale, Mississippi. Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing...
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Larry Adler (Lawrence Cecil Adler)
02/14/1914 - 08/07/2001
Lawrence "Larry" Cecil Adler was an American musician, widely acknowledged as one of the world's most skilled harmonica players. During the later stage of his career he was known for his collaborations with p...
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02/08/1942 - 11/19/2004
Terry (Terrence) P. Melcher (February 8, 1942 – November 19, 2004) was an American musician and record producer, who was instrumental in shaping the sound of American West Coast rock music. His greatest contribution...
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