John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (pronounced /ɡɨˈlɛspi/; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer, and composer dubbed "the sound of surprise".[1]

Together with Charlie Parker, he was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz. He taught and influenced many other musicians, including trumpeters Miles Davis, Fats Navarro, Clifford Brown, Arturo Sandoval, Lee Morgan, Jon Faddis[2] and Chuck Mangione.[3]

Arguably Gillespie is remembered, by both critics and fans alike, as one of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time. [4] Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.