MUSICIAN

Kenny Clarke

1914 - 1985

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Kenneth Clarke Spearman (January 9, 1914 – January 26, 1985), known professionally as Kenny Clarke and nicknamed Klook, was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. A major innovator of the bebop style of drumming, he pioneered the use of the ride cymbal to keep time rather than the hi-hat, along with the use of the bass drum for irregular accents ("dropping bombs"). Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was orphaned at the age of about five and began playing the drums when he was eight or nine on the urging of a teacher at his orphanage. Turning professional in 1931 at the age of seventeen, he moved to New York City in 1935 when he began to establish his drumming style and reputation. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Kenny Clarke is the 759th most popular musician (down from 713th in 2019), the 4,176th most popular biography from United States (down from 3,632nd in 2019) and the 240th most popular American Musician.

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Kenny Clarke ranks 759 out of 3,175. Before him are Ahmad Jamal, Giovanni Battista Guadagnini, Tom Araya, Danko Jones, Link Wray, and Deadmau5. After him are Adrien-François Servais, Klaus Tennstedt, Ilaiyaraaja, Peter Machajdík, The Edge, and Vasco Rossi.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1914, Kenny Clarke ranks 172. Before him are Mihailo Lalić, Albert Soboul, Alojs Andritzki, Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, Taisen Deshimaru, and Jerry Siegel. After him are Beatrice Straight, Henri Langlois, Grigol Abashidze, Ken Annakin, Max Wünsche, and Gretel Bergmann. Among people deceased in 1985, Kenny Clarke ranks 106. Before him are Henry Hansen, Víctor Rodríguez Andrade, Michel Audiard, Géza Toldi, Sergei Yutkevich, and Manfred Winkelhock. After him are William Stevenson, Ernest Nagel, Susanne Langer, Iosif Shklovsky, Georgia Hale, and Dmitry Belyayev.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Kenny Clarke ranks 4,176 out of 20,380. Before him are Samuel Jones (1880), Eric Carle (1929), Aaliyah (1979), Carl Bernstein (1944), Jennifer Doudna (1964), and Zach Galifianakis (1969). After him are Edwin Sutherland (1883), Lucius D. Clay (1898), Chubby Checker (1941), Richard Jordan (1937), Rob Cohen (1949), and Patrick Henry (1736).

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Kenny Clarke ranks 240. Before him are Steve Gadd (1945), McCoy Tyner (1938), Chrissie Hynde (1951), Jack Sherman (1956), Ahmad Jamal (1930), and Link Wray (1929). After him are Todd Rundgren (1948), Sly Stone (1943), Milt Jackson (1923), Walter Donaldson (1893), Joe Walsh (1947), and Scott Walker (1943).

American born Musicians

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