MUSICIAN

Dizzy Gillespie

1917 - 1993

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John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( 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 the new music called bebop. His beret and horn-rimmed spectacles, scat singing, bent horn, pouched cheeks, and light-hearted personality have made him an enduring icon. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Dizzy Gillespie is the 212th most popular musician (down from 151st in 2019), the 1,352nd most popular biography from United States (down from 887th in 2019) and the 62nd most popular American Musician.

Dizzy Gillespie is most famous for his contributions to jazz music. He was a trumpeter and composer who was known for his virtuosity and creativity. He was one of the first jazz musicians to use Afro-Cuban rhythms and he was a pioneer in the development of bebop.

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Dizzy Gillespie ranks 212 out of 3,175. Before him are Maria João Pires, John Paul Jones, Giovanni Battista Martini, Lisa Gerrard, Willie Nelson, and Steve Harris. After him are Eric Peterson, Claudio Arrau, Kitarō, Izzy Stradlin, David A. Stewart, and Ronnie Wood.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1917, Dizzy Gillespie ranks 55. Before him are George Gaynes, Sven Hassel, Chung Il-kwon, Danielle Darrieux, Hirokazu Ninomiya, and Jack Kirby. After him are Kunitaka Sueoka, Jane Wyman, Edward Norton Lorenz, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia, and Violeta Parra. Among people deceased in 1993, Dizzy Gillespie ranks 31. Before him are Bill Bixby, Lillian Gish, Léon Theremin, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and Boris Christoff. After him are Cantinflas, Salah Jadid, Vincent Price, Alexandra of Yugoslavia, Severo Ochoa, and Arthur Ashe.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Dizzy Gillespie ranks 1,352 out of 20,380. Before him are Andrew Dickson White (1832), Cormac McCarthy (1933), Jack Kirby (1917), Carl Weathers (1948), Ambrose Bierce (1842), and James Cagney (1899). After him are Marvin Minsky (1927), Harry Dean Stanton (1926), Eric Peterson (1964), Kendrick Lamar (1987), Raymond Carver (1938), and Jane Wyman (1917).

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Dizzy Gillespie ranks 62. Before him are Lionel Richie (1949), Chick Corea (1941), James Hetfield (1963), Stan Getz (1927), Mike Shinoda (1977), and Willie Nelson (1933). After him are Eric Peterson (1964), Izzy Stradlin (1962), Alicia Keys (1981), Don Cherry (1936), Sean Combs (1969), and Moe Tucker (1944).

American born Musicians

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