Dizzy Gillespie Research Paper
Dizzy Gillespie Dizzy Gillespie was born as John Birks Gillespie on October 21, 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina. "Dizzy was the youngest child in his household, and his father, who beat his children, died when Dizzy was ten." His father was a bricklayer, pianist, and band leader, and his mother's name was Lottie. His father kept all the band instruments in the house. So most of his early life he was around many different instruments, his father even tore down a wall to get his piano in the house. When he was very young he started to play the piano before the trumpet because it was the instrument that his father played. In 1930, Dizzy tried playing the trombone but he was too small to play it correctly. So one night that year he started
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So he went to France and started his third big band. Then in 1953 he returned to the USA and one thing he accomplished in France was to show that he is a successful band leader. He also started another type of music called Afro-Cuban music. Afro-Cuban music has Latin and African elements together to create a new type of Jazz.
Dizzy stayed true to his bebop music for the rest of his career. He even did something unheard of by musicians; in 1964 he put himself forward as a presidential candidate. "He promised that if he were elected, the White House would be renamed "The Blues House," Ray Charles would be appointed Librarian of Congress, Miles Davis would become the head of the CIA, and Malcolm X the Attorney General. He also said his running mate would be Phyllis Diller." He was nominated for Grammy awards and also was a guest on The Cosby Show and Sesame Street.
Towards the end of his life he worked hard and was a very motivated musician. "In 1989 Gillespie gave 300 performances in 27 countries, appeared in 100 U.S. cities in 31 states and the District of Columbia, headlined three television specials, performed with two symphonies, and recorded four albums." He received his fourteenth honorary doctoral degree, last one from Berkley College of Music and he was also given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in the same
So he went to France and started his third big band. Then in 1953 he returned to the USA and one thing he accomplished in France was to show that he is a successful band leader. He also started another type of music called Afro-Cuban music. Afro-Cuban music has Latin and African elements together to create a new type of Jazz.
Dizzy stayed true to his bebop music for the rest of his career. He even did something unheard of by musicians; in 1964 he put himself forward as a presidential candidate. "He promised that if he were elected, the White House would be renamed "The Blues House," Ray Charles would be appointed Librarian of Congress, Miles Davis would become the head of the CIA, and Malcolm X the Attorney General. He also said his running mate would be Phyllis Diller." He was nominated for Grammy awards and also was a guest on The Cosby Show and Sesame Street.
Towards the end of his life he worked hard and was a very motivated musician. "In 1989 Gillespie gave 300 performances in 27 countries, appeared in 100 U.S. cities in 31 states and the District of Columbia, headlined three television specials, performed with two symphonies, and recorded four albums." He received his fourteenth honorary doctoral degree, last one from Berkley College of Music and he was also given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in the same