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Dizzy Gillespie

File:Portrait_of_Dizzy_Gillespie,_Famous_Door,_New_York,_N.Y.,_ca._June_1946_(cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Dizzy Gillespie

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Also known as John Birks Gillespie, John Birks Dizzy Gillespie, John Dizzy Gillespie

American jazz trumpeter (1917–1993)

OverviewAI-generated

Dizzy Gillespie, born John Birks Gillespie in 1917, was an American pianist, composer, trumpeter, and bandleader. He performed jazz, bebop, and Afro-Cuban jazz, utilizing the trumpet, voice, and Jew's harp. His career began in 1935, and he recorded for labels including Pablo, RCA Records, Savoy Records, and Verve Records. Gillespie was influenced by Charlie Shavers and Louis Armstrong.

He received the National Medal of Arts, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors. He also holds a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Gillespie practiced the Baháʼí Faith and spoke English. He died of pancreatic cancer in Englewood in 1993.

Synthesized by Vinony from 33 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Last.fm, TMDb, Vinony collections. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Film & TV

Cheraw, South Carolina, USA

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

Known for

  • Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat — Self (archive footage)2024
  • Maurice Baquet, The Accorded — Self (archive footage)2023
  • Jazz session: Dizzy Gillepsie en concert au studio 104 - 1970 — Self - trompettiste2022
  • Charlie Parker: Bird Songs — Self (archive footage)2022
  • Jazz Club 22022
  • Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street — Self (archive footage)2021
  • Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President — Self (archive footage)2020
  • Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool — Self - Musician (archive footage)2019
  • Jazz: The Only Way of Life — Self (archive footage)2019
  • The Jazz Ambassadors — Self (archive footage)2018

via TMDB

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
755,742
Total plays
7,232,781

Tags

Afro-Cuban Jazzbeboptrumpetfunksoul

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer and occasional singer. Dizzy Gillespie was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuoso style of Roy Eldridge but adding layers of harmonic complexity previously unknown in jazz. His beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, his scat singing, his bent horn, pouched cheeks and his light-hearted personality were essential in popularizing bebop. <a href="https://www.last.fm

via Last.fm · Dizzy Gillespie

Wikidata facts

Instance of
human
Given name
John
Gender
male
Citizenship
United States
Place of birth
Cheraw
Place of death
Englewood
Occupation
musician
Languages spoken
English language
Religion
Baháʼí Faith
Student of
Charlie Shavers
Genre
Afro-Cuban jazz
Instrument
Jew's harp
Official website
www.dizzygillespie.com
Image
Portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, Famous Door, New York, N.Y., ca. June 1946 (cropped).jpg
Show 14 more facts
Commons category
Dizzy Gillespie
cause of death
pancreatic cancer
date of birth
1917-10-21
date of death
1993-01-06
manner of death
natural causes
ethnic group
African Americans
member of
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Commons gallery
Dizzy Gillespie
influenced by
Louis Armstrong
birth name
John Birks Gillespie
start of work period
1935-00-00
copyright representative
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
nickname
Dizzy
name in native language
Dizzy Gillespie
Sources (6)

via Wikidata · CC0

~23 min read

Encyclopedic overview

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (/ɡɪˈlɛspi/ ghih-LES-pee; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge 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 early bebop styles. His beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, scat singing, bent horn, pouched cheeks, and light-hearted personality have made him an enduring icon.

In the 1940s, Gillespie, with Charlie Parker, became a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He taught and influenced many other musicians, including trumpeters Miles Davis, Jon Faddis, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Arturo Sandoval, Lee Morgan, Chuck Mangione, and balladeer Johnny Hartman.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Dizzy Gillespie” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (12)

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