Miles Davis, famous jazz trumpeter, composer and band-leader was born 26 May 1926 in Alton, Illinois. He moved to New York in 1944 and studied at Juilliard. He left school and entered the jazz society of New York, meeting such famous musicians as Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Charlie Mingus. His record debut came in 1946. Miles soon became a major figure of jazz. He changed the directions of jazz several times, recording albums such as Birth Of The Cool (1949) which started the cool-jazz era, Milestones (1953), Kind Of Blue (1959) which was the beginning of modal jazz, orchestral jazz masterpieces such as Porgy And Bess (1958) and Sketches Of Spain (1961), In A Silent Way (1968) and Bitches Brew (1969) - the first jazz/rock fusion albums. He cooperated with famous jazz players such as: Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Philly Joe Jones, Joseph Zawinul, Paul Chambers, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Keith Jarrett, and others. He retired from music in 1975 due to hip problems as well as his problems with drug addiction. He recovered and returned to music in 1980, collaborating with producer Marcus Miller and recording new, intriguing albums such as electronic-driven Tutu or Amandla,as well as Spanish-flavored music for Siesta. Miles Davis is now arguably one of the greatest and most important jazz musicians of all time.


Born at 5:00am-CDT. He was married to Cicely Tyson by Andrew Young in the home of Bill Cosby. Bill Cosby was the best man, and gave away the bride. Attended The Julliard School of Music. Played with Charlie Parker prior to going solo. He was voted the 88th Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Artist of all time by Rolling Stone. Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 3, 1991-1993, pp. 123-125. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2001. Duke Ellington called him "the Picasso of Jazz, the invisible art".