Dizzy Gillespie

Trumpeter / Composer

Name at birth: John Birks Gillespie

Nicknamed "Dizzy" because of his comical antics, Gillespie played trumpet in the 1930s in bands led by Teddy Hill and Lionel Hampton. Throughout the '40s and '50s Gillespie led his own bands, both big and small, and soloed as he toured the world. With Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, Gillespie ushered in the bebop era of jazz. He toured and performed right up to his death in 1993.

Extra credit: His famous upturned horn was originally the result of an accident. He liked the sound, and it became one of his signatures throughout his career.

Gillespie appears with fellow jazz star Louis Armstrong in our loop on Black History.