John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, born in Cheraw, South Carolina, on October 21, 1917, died on January 6, 1993, in Englewood, New Jersey, was an American trumpeter, singer-songwriter and jazz bandleader.
Along with Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, he is considered one of the three most important trumpeters in the history of jazz, having participated in the creation of the Bebop style and helped introduce Latin American rhythms into jazz.
Dizzy Gillespie was particularly distinguished by his trumpet with the bell tilted upwards, he sometimes played with a mute. His toad-like cheeks, his joie de vivre and his devastating sense of humor were a big part of his popularity with the public. As a musician, he had an amazing technique and an impressive speed of play.