John Birks Gillespie (popularly known as Dizzy Gillespie) was born October 21, 1917, in Cheraw, South Carolina. The youngest of nine children, Gillespie grew up in a tumultuous home. His father regularly beat the children and died when Gillespie was only ten. Despite his violent personality, Gillespie was still deeply impacted by his father. A talented musician in his own right, Gillespie learned to play all his father’s favorite instruments.
When Gillespie was only twelve, he taught himself to play the trumpet. His innate skill in conjunction with relentless practice earned him a scholarship to the Laurinburg Institute located in North Carolina. Gillespie soon learned, however, school was not where he wanted to learn music. Rather, he wanted to experience life as a musician firsthand, and to that end, he dropped out in 1935 and moved to Philadelphia.
His first recording job was in 1937, with Frankie Fairfax in Teddy’s Hill band. This relationship ended, and he soon found work with renowned musician Cab Calloway. It didn’t prove an ideal match, however. Gillespie garnered criticism for his "adventurous" solos, and allegedly left the band after Calloway made a strange accusation against Gillespie. Calloway claimed Gillespie hit him with a spitball, to which Gillespie, possessing a short fuse, took offense and stabbed Calloway in the leg with a small knife. Needless to say, this was the end of their professional career together.
Gillespie continued his search for steady work, performing with Duke Ellington and arranging for Woody Herman. Landing a spot in Billy Eckstine’s band, Gillespie found not only a good musical match for his talents but also found himself reunited with former band-mate and friend Charlie Parker. With Parker, Gillespie began performing what would later be recognized as the inception of bebop. Gillespie also took it upon himself to teach other rising jazz stars such as Max Roach and Miles Davis.
Despite a mild reception of this new sound, Gillespie felt it was time to try and head a band. After many attempts, including ensembles with John Coltrane, Lalo Schifrin, and Milt Jackson, Gillespie finally assembled a successful big band. By 1953, Gillespie had secured both well-received concerts and recordings. He was, at last, the big band leader he always aspired to be.
A man of diverse interests, he is also credited with extensive influence in the Afro-Cuban music movement. He even ran for President in 1964, promising upon his election with running mate Phyllis Diller to rename the White House the "Blues House" and to appoint a new cabinet including Ray Charles, Miles Davis, and Malcolm X.
His autobiography, To Be or Not to Bebop, was released in 1979. Just a few years later, Gillespie was honored with leading the United Nations Orchestra.
A household name in music, Gillespie also made several television and on-screen appearances. In 1984, he acted in one episode of The Cosby Show, beside Bill Cosby, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe, and Lisa Bonet. Two years later, along with Maureen Stapleton and Jack Warden, Gillespie lent his voice to the film The Cosmic Eye.
The year 1989 was Gillespie’s crowning year. He delivered three hundred performances, recorded four studio albums, received France’s most prestigious cultural award (Commandre d’Ordre des Artes et Lettres), was given his fourteenth honorary doctoral degree, and won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gillespie died January 6, 1993, of pancreatic cancer. He was honored with two funerals. The first was Bahá’í (Gillespie’s religion since 1970), and the second was an open funeral for fans at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.
Gillespie married Lorraine Willis on May 9, 1940, and they were together until his death in 1993. He had one illegitimate child, jazz singer Jeanie Bryson.
YUDDY
