Dizzy Gillespie, born John Birks Gillespie on October 21, 1917, in Cheraw, South Carolina, was a pioneering American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader. He passed away on January 6, 1993, in Englewood, New Jersey. Gillespie was a seminal figure in the development of bebop, a complex and sophisticated style of jazz. His father, a bricklayer and amateur bandleader, introduced him to music, and after his father's death in 1927, Gillespie taught himself to play the trumpet and trombone. He attended the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina, where he furthered his musical education.

Gillespie's professional career began with Frankie Fairfax’s band in Philadelphia, and he was heavily influenced by trumpeter Roy Eldridge. His playful and unpredictable nature earned him the nickname "Dizzy." In 1937, he joined the Teddy Hill Orchestra, marking his recording debut with "King Porter Stomp." Throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s, Gillespie played with several prominent bands, including those led by Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Earl Hines, Duke Ellington, and Billy Eckstine. He was a regular at Minton’s Playhouse, a New York City nightclub where bebop was born, collaborating with other jazz legends like Charlie Parker, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk, and Max Roach.

Gillespie and Charlie Parker are considered cofounders of the bebop movement, and their competitive yet complementary relationship led to groundbreaking musical innovations. In the late 1940s, Gillespie formed his own orchestra, renowned for its complex arrangements and instrumental virtuosity, blending bebop with Afro-Cuban jazz, or "Cubop," in compositions like “Manteca” and “Cubano Be.”

Throughout his career, Gillespie was celebrated for his technical prowess and innovative approach to jazz trumpet playing, influencing generations of musicians. He received numerous accolades, including Grammy Awards in 1975 and 1991 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 1990. Gillespie's legacy endures as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters in history, second only to Louis Armstrong in the eyes of many.