02/27/1923 - 04/25/1990
Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor (Round Midnight, Warner Bros, 1986). He is regarded as one of the first and most importan...
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1926 - 08/02/2011
DeLois Barrett Campbell (1926 - August 2, 2011) was a part of the Barrett Sisters Trio along with her sisters Rodessa and Billie. She started her career in gospel music as a member of the Roberta Martin Singers.
10/26/1915 - 01/23/2010
Royland Earl Wild (November 26, 1915 – January 23, 2010) was an American pianist widely recognized as a leading virtuoso of his generation. Harold C. Schonberg called him a "super-virtuoso in theHorow...
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11/05/1931 - 12/12/2007
Isaac Wister (Ike) Turner (November 5, 1931 – December 12, 2007) was an American musician, bandleader, talent scout, and record producer. Considered to be one of the fathers of rock and roll, his first recording, "Rocket 88" by ...
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Benny Goodman (Benjamin David Goodman)
05/30/1909 - 06/13/1986
Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing
Alex Chilton (William Alexander Chilton)
12/28/1950 - 03/17/2010
William Alexander "Alex" Chilton (December 28, 1950 – March 17, 2010) was an American songwriter, guitarist, singer and producer, best known as the lead singer of the...
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Bill Evans (William John Evans)
09/16/1929 - 10/15/1980
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans (August 16, 1929–September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmica...
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Bo Diddley (Ellas Otha Bates)
12/30/1928 - 06/02/2008
Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter (usually as Elias McDaniel), and inventor. He was also known as "The Originator...
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04/04/1913 - 04/04/1983
McKinley Morganfield, known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the Father of modern Chicago blues. A major inspiration for the British blues explosion in the 1960s, Muddy was ranked #17...
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10/02/1938 - 04/17/1960
Eddie Cochran (October 2, 1938 – April 17, 1960), was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C...
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Bob Marley (Nesta Robert Marley)
02/06/1945 - 05/11/1981
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteadyand reggae bands The Wailers (1964–1974) and Bob...
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06/14/1936 - 07/01/2005
Renaldo "Obie" Benson (June 14, 1936 – July 1, 2005) was an American soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was best known as the bass of Motown group the Four Tops, which he joined in 1953 and continued to perform with for ove...
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04/22/1927 - 07/17/2005
Lorenzo Aitken (April 22, 1927 – July 17, 2005), better known as Laurel Aitken, was a singer and one of the originators of Jamaican ska music . He is often referred to as the "Godfather of ska