Duke Ellington (Edward Kennedy Ellington)
04/29/1899 - 05/24/1974
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (born April 29, 1899, Washington, D.C., U.S.—died May 24, 1974, New York, N.Y.) American pianist who was the greatest jazz composer and bandleader. One of the originators of big-band jazz, Elli...
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08/29/1920 - 03/12/1955
Charles "Yardbird" Parker (born August 29, 1920, Kansas City, Kan., U.S.—died March 12, 1955, New York, N.Y.) American alto saxophonist, composer, and bandleader, a lyric artist generally considered the greatest jazz saxophonist. P...
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11/09/1936 - 09/16/2009
Mary Allin Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter and member of the folk music group Peter, Paul and Mary, along with Peter Yarrow and Noel (Paul) Stooke...
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Frankie Laine (Francesco Paolo LoVecchio)
03/30/1913 - 02/06/2007
Francesco Paolo LoVecchio (Chicago, March 30, 1913–San Diego, February 6, 2007), was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a mara...
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06/29/1943 - 04/10/2003
Eva Narcissus Boyd (June 29, 1943 – April 10, 2003), known by the stage name of Little Eva (after a character from Uncle Tom's Cabin), was an American pop singer.
Bill Evans (William John Evans)
09/16/1929 - 10/15/1980
William John Evans, known as Bill Evans (August 16, 1929–September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist. His use of impressionist harmony, inventive interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, and trademark rhythmica...
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Kate Smith (Kathryn Elizabeth Smith)
05/01/1907 - 06/17/1986
Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning fi...
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09/25/1933 - 08/03/2008
Erik Darling (September 25, 1933 – August 3, 2008) was an American songwriter and a folk music artist. He was an important influence on the folk scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Jackie Wilson (Jack Leroy Wilson)
06/09/1934 - 01/21/1984
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. (June 9, 1934 – January 21, 1984) was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement". He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in...
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01/20/1888 - 12/06/1949
Huddie William Ledbetter (January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949) was an American folk-blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose ability to perform a vast repertoire of songs, in conjunction with his notoriously violent life, made him a leg...
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10/12/1935 - 09/06/2007
Luciano Pavarotti, (12 October 1935 – 6 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor, who also crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most commercially successful tenors of all time.
07/10/1942 - 05/16/2010
Ronald James Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010), better known as Ronnie James Dio, was an Italian American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He performed with, amongst others, Elf, Rainbow...
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Gene Vincent (Vincent Eugene Craddock)
02/11/1935 - 10/12/1971
Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935–October 12, 1971), better known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula...
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04/04/1909 - 02/09/1951
Eddy Duchin (April 1, 1909 or April 10, 1910 – February 9, 1951) was an American popular pianist and bandleader of the 1930s and 1940s, famous for his engaging onstage personality, his elegant piano style, and his fight a...
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