Gregory Oliver Hines, an American tap dancer, singer, actor, and choreographer, was a major figure in the revitalization of tap dancing in the late twentieth century. Hines was born on February 14, 1946, in New York City, New York, the son of Alma Lola and … Read MoreGregory Oliver Hines (1946-2003)
Earl “Fatha” Hines was one of the most influential Jazz pianists during the twentieth century. His “trumpet style” piano playing has influenced jazz pianists since the 1920s. Hines’s career as a musician and bandleader spanned from the 1920s to his death in 1983. Earl Kenneth … Read MoreEarl “Fatha” Hines (1903-1983)
Multi-talented performer Billy Eckstine, known as “Mr. B.,” was a jazz musician and balladeer who gained popularity during the post-World War II era. His good looks, fashionable style and smooth baritone vocals led to a long and successful musical career, earning a place as DOWNBEAT’s … Read MoreBilly Eckstine (1914-1993)
Blues, jazz, and folk musician Taj Mahal was born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem, New York on May 17, 1942. He was raised in Springfield, Massachusetts by musically gifted parents. Mahal’s father was a jazz musician and his mother a gospel singer. As a … Read MoreTaj Mahal (Henry St. Claire Fredericks) (1942- )
Opened in 1923, the Cotton Club on 142nd St & Lenox Ave in the heart of Harlem, New York was operated by white New York gangster Owney Madden. Madden used the Cotton Club as an outlet to sell his “#1 Beer” to the prohibition crowd. … Read MoreCotton Club of Harlem (1923- )
A definitive jazz multi-instrumentalist, Eric Dolphy established deeply original voices on his three primary instruments– the bass clarinet, alto saxophone, and flute. Dolphy pioneered the use of the bass clarinet as a solo improvising instrument, and, with Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins, he is one … Read MoreEric Dolphy (1928-1964)
