Shirley Horn was considered one of the great jazz singers of the nineteen fifties and sixties. She was often compared to the famous singers Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan. She performed for more than fifty years. Shirley Horn's voice was smooth and expressive, but never hurried. She was one of the slowest singers in jazz. When she sang a song, she wanted the audience to feel it in the same way she did. She had a small voice. But her songs had a big effect. Here, Shirley Horn sings her popular song "You're My Thrill." Shirley Horn was born in Washington, D.C. in nineteen thirty-four. She lived all her life in and around Washington. Shirley began taking piano lessons when she was four years old. Her mother recognized her skill and love for the instrument. By age 20, Horn had created her first jazz piano trio, which garnered her local renown and put her on the path toward national fame. By 1960, the dying ember of New York, which was suffocated to the point of extinction with the failed dream of attending Julliard, received a new spark as Horn was asked back to New York to record her first album, “Embers and Ashes.” Despite limited distribution, the album had great success in jazz circles and won her the recognition of many jazz celebrities and bigwigs, such as Miles Davis, Quincy Jones, and record labels like Mercury and Impulse. After a falling out with Mercury Records due to creative differences, Horn returned to Washington, D.C., where she performed at local concerts and clubs. Fearing the changes in the music industry, Horn chose to keep her appearances to a minimum, producing the occasional album with Verve Records. She continued to have great success with the albums she produced under the Verve label, particularly “I Remember Miles,” an album dedicated to Davis and which won her the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. In 2002, Horn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berkley Collage. However, her health and music career would take a dramatic turn when she was forced to undergo a leg amputation as a result of complications due to diabetes. From then on, Horn was unable to play the piano, despite great effort. In 2005, after a life-long struggle with breast cancer and diabetes, Horn ultimately succumbed from complications due to a massive stroke at the age of 71. Horns career reflects a talent that would neither be controlled nor ever truly understood by mainstream musical culture. She remains a prominent figure and source of influence within jazz groups and her legacy lives on in connection with Miles Davis and other jazz legends.

Musician and singer James Ambrose Johnson, Jr., better known as Ricj James, was born on February 1, 1948, in Buffalo, New York. The third of eight children, Rick James was raised in a strict Catholic household by his single mother. With music in his blood, James pursued a music career from an early age, fleeing the U.S. Naval Reserve to Toronto, Ontario, in 1964. James' first band was called The Mynah Birds, which included future Buffalo Springfield members Neil Young and Bruce Palmer. Though the group recorded in Motown, it never released an album in part because of James' AWOL status. He returned in 1968 to write and produce under the name Terry Johnson. For the next several years, James played bass in Los Angeles, California for several short-lived bands, including Salt, Pepper 'N' Cocaine and Great White Cane. In 1977, James left Los Angeles to return to Motown and start a solo career. His debut album Come and Get It!, including the singles "You and I" and "Mary Jane," catapulted him to stardom. Famous for his wild brand of danceable funk music and his trademark braids, James was often referred to as The King of Punk-Funk. Two 1979 albums, Fire It Up and Bustin' Out of L Seven were also popular. His biggest hit, the Grammy-nominated "Super Freak," was released in 1981 on the album Street Songs, which included other popular singles like "Give It to Me Baby," "Fire and Desire" and "Ghetto Life." Subsequent hits included "Teardrops," "Cold Blooded" and "Glow." In the early 1990s for assaulting two women. He was sentenced to two years in prison and was ordered by the court to pay a $2 million fine. James served out his sentence in California's Folsom Prison, where he converted to Islam, joined Narcotics Anonymous, began writing his autobiography, and finally returned to songwriting. James was released from prison in 1995 and soon after attempted a comeback, but health issues would prevent him from doing so. At a concert in 1997 in Denver, Colorado, James suffered a mild stroke that would mark the end of his career. Rick James died August 6, 2004 at the age of 56 after suffering from pulmonary and cardiac failure. James had other health issues such as diabetes and the requirement of a pacemaker that were also listed as factors in his death. In addition to this, there were nine different drugs in Jamess system at the time of his death. His death was later ruled as accidental.

Ray Anderson born October 16, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois is an independent jazz trombone and trumpet player. Anderson is a boisterous trombonist who is masterful at multiphonics. Trained by the Chicago Symphony trombonists, he is regarded as pushing the limits of the instrument. He is a contemporary and colleague of trombonist/composer George Lewis. Anderson also plays Sousaphone and sings. He was consistently chosen as DownBeat Magazine's Critics Poll best trombonist throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ray was invited to be a part of the University of Illinois’s summer jazz workshop following his senior year of high school, and then he spent some time attending Macalester College in Minnesota. After one year at Macalester, Ray moved on to the California Institute of the Arts where he studied with jazz musicians such as as Keshavan Maslak, Charles Moffett, and Stanley Crouch. After three years in California, Ray moved to New York City in 1972 where he played in the Tommy Dorsey band, the funk band Hidden Strength, and then Maslak’s Surrealistic Ensemble. The turning point in Ray’s career came, however, when he was called to replace George Lewis in the Anthony Braxton quartet. This gig launched him into the spotlight and landed him several special appearances at such prestigious events as the 1979 Moers Festival with the Roscoe Mitchell-Leo Smith orchestra. Ray Anderson formed the Slickaphonics with Mark Helias and toured Europe as a leader in 1980. Down Beat magazine’s critic’s poll named Ray the premier trombonist deserving of wider recognition in 1981, and also provided Harrisburg Half Life, Ray’s very first album as a leader, with four stars. He continued to impress both critics and fans alike for many years. In fact, praise was given for his Connoisseur album, the What Because album, and even his 1991 Wishbone album. Ray has appeared on many other renowned musicians’ albums as well, including David Murray, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Dr. John, Luther Allison, Roscoe Mitchell, the New York Composers Orchestra, Bennie Wallace, and others. Since 2001, Ray Anderson has been teaching at State University of New York at Stony Brook. In 2003, he was asked to be the Director of Jazz Studies and has been ever since. Ray has also been awarded grants for his interest in music composition from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fund for U.S. Artists at International Festivals, and the Chamber of Music America.

Malik Isaac Taylor born November 20, 1970, better known by his stage name Phife Dawg, is an American rapper of Trinidadian descent, and a member of the acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad and for a short time Jarobi White. He is also known as the "Five Foot Assassin" and "The Five Footer", because he stands at 5 ft 3 in. In addition to being a member of pioneering hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, Phife has performed in songs with other artists. He was featured on the Fu-Schnickens song "La Schmoove", Diamond D's "Painz & Strife" along with Pete Rock, Chi-Ali's "Let the Horns Blow" with Dres, Al' Tariq and Trugoy. In 2000, he released his debut solo album, Ventilation: Da LP. Currently, Phife is anticipating a second album titled Songs in the Key of Phife. He stated on Billboard's website that he would like to collaborate with Method Man, Faith Evans, De La Soul, Big Boi, and Redman, as well as his fellow ATCQ bandmates. He is a playable character in the video game NBA 2K7 and NBA 2K9. Phife Dawg has mentioned being a "Funky Diabetic" in Tribe Called Quest songs, and he does indeed suffer from diabetes. Phife was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May of 1990, just as his band was taking off. Experiencing constant thirst and bathroom visits, his grandmother, a nurse, tested him for diabetes after a show in Connecticut. Initially, Phife did not take the diagnosis seriously, and maintained his same lifestyle. He was eventually hospitalized before a television appearance in New York City. At the time of his admittance, his blood sugar level was in the thousands. Phife's initial resistance to treatment made it necessary for him to go on dialysis (although he recently had a kidney transplant.) During an interview with dLifeTV, Phife welcomed the opportunity to help others to learn from his mistakes. His message: When you learn you have diabetes, "the first word you have to learn is acceptance."

Peggy Lee was an American jazz singer, songwriter and actress whose career spanned six decades. In 1942 Lee had her first 1 hit, "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place." Peggy Lee grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota to Marvin, a station agent for the Midland Continental Railroad, and Selma, a housewife. Selma died when Peggy Lee was only four years old, leaving Marvin to juggle both work and his family, and Peggy Lee to grow up with the knowledge of how to look after herself. As soon as she turned 18, Peggy Lee set forth on the path that would ultimately lead her to jazz and success as a performer. Having been involved with her high school glee club, church choir, and community chorus groups, Peggy Lee decided to venture out to Hollywood, CA., with the hope of becoming a singer and actress. However, upon arrival, Peggy Lee could only procure a singing engagement at a small social club, the Jade Room. She had no success at becoming an actress and was forced to take up a job as a waitress. Peggy Lee returned home to undergo a tonsillectomy and stayed in North Dakota while she recovered. Following her recovery, Peggy Lee set out to Chicago where she quickly got a job singing at a nightclub, the Buttery Room. In 1941, Peggy Lee had become a standout performer and in a short time, Benny Goodman took interest in her and asked her to perform with his group. Benny Goodman’s band was at the height of its career when Peggy Lee joined, so the young singer felt the full force of fame all at once. In 1942, after learning performing with Benny Goodman’s band for more than two years, Peggy Lee recorded her first smash hit, "Why Don’t You Do Right?" The single was extremely popular and sold over 1 million copies, making Peggy Lee a recognizable figure and predicting her fame. In 1946, she began to record for Capitol Records and began a professional relationship that would last throughout most of Lee’s career. In 1948, Lee got involved with NBC and performed on the Jimmy Durante Show and the Chesterfield Supper Club. Over the course of her career, she received three Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Academy Award nomination, the ASCAP Award, Living Legacy Award and, in 1999, an induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Lee has had great success as a songwriter, working on music for Disney and writing songs for names like Sonny Burke, Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, and Victor Young. Lee has also been mentor to Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, and Madonna. On January 21, 2002, Peggy Lee died of a heart attack. Prior to her death, she had been suffering from complications due to her diabetes and, though still performing throughout the 90’s, was often seen in a wheelchair and weakened by her illness. Lee was 81 when she died and was buried in Westwood, Los Angeles, California.

Singer. Born Patricia Louise Holte on May 24, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to parents Henry Holte, a railroad worker, and Bertha Robinson Holte, a homemaker. A shy girl, Patricia gained confidence through her singing, which she did every Sunday in the choir of Beulah Baptist Church in southwest Philadelphia. As a teenager, she began singing secular music with friend, Cindy Birdsong. The duo formed the Ordettes in 1959 and, a year later, signed on two more friends, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. As the group experienced increasing success, Patricia's parents allowed her to leave high school with her friends in order to go on tour. Forever known as one of the original divas of R&B music, Patti LaBelle's first taste of stardom came in 1962 when her group the Ordettes later renamed LaBelle was signed with Blue Note Records. Several years, tours, and record companies later, LaBelle became the first contemporary African-American act to perform at the Metropolitan Opera. In December of the following year their single Lady Marmalade was a 1 hit that continues to enjoy popularity today. In 1976 the group called it quits and went their separate ways, launching Patti into a highly successful solo career. Patti's first 1 R&B hit as a solo artist was If You Only Knew in 1983. The hits have kept coming throughout the years, and Patti continues to record and tour today. In 2005 LaBelle was honored at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball for her lifetime of achievement. When Patti LaBelle learned she had diabetes after passing out onstage 14 years ago, the legendary singer said she thought that meant no more fun in the kitchen. For years, the Grammy Award winner loved to whip up "twelve-egg potato salad, seven-cheese macaroni and all that stuff that I used to eat like crazy," LaBelle, 64, tells PEOPLE. "I was hooked on fried chicken and pasta." Determined to get her diabetes in check, the singer completely revamped the way she cooked – and gave herself an attitude adjustment. "I said, 'I'm not going to let it get me,' " says LaBelle, whose third cookbook, Recipes for the Good Life, comes out this month. She still gives her meals "diva love," but LaBelle sticks to recipes from her book’s Light and Healthy chapter. "Instead of frying my fish, like I used to do, I sauté it. I spice everything," says the singer, who also has a line of spice blends. "Because I can’t use butter, these days I am a fresh garlic fanatic." While discussing her diabetes in an interview , Patti said, "I do manage it. It doesn't manage me." She adjusts her schedule on the road so that she can keep her diabetes in check, whether it's taking pills on the plane or working out in the hotel gym.

Whitfield was a native of Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan, so that his father could join his sister and work in her husband's chain of drug stores, Barthwell Drugs. He attended Northwestern High School. At 19, Whitfield began frequenting Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. offices for a chance to work for the growing label. Founder Berry Gordy Jr. recognized Whitfield's persistence and hired him for the quality control department, which determined which songs would or would not be released. Whitfield eventually joined Motown's in-house songwriting staff. Whitfield had a few early successes, including co-writing the Marvin Gaye hit "Pride & Joy", The Marvelettes's "Too Many Fish in the Sea" and The Velvelettes's "Needle in a Haystack", but he found his place at Motown when he began producing. His big break came when he took over Smokey Robinson's role as the main producer for The Temptations in 1966, after his "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" performed better than Robinson's "Get Ready" on the pop charts Whitfield ultimately fell off the map as both a songwriter and producer. He re-emerged in 2005 after pleading guilty to tax evasion of over $4 million worth of income. After a long battle with diabetes and other health issues, Whitfield died on September 16, 2008.

Neil Percival Young was born in Toronto, Canada on 12 November 1945. His father, Scott Alexander Young was a journalist and sportswriter who would later rise to prominence in Canada for his work.His mother, Edna Blow Ragland "Rassy" Young was of American, French, and Scottish ancestry, and a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. They married in 1940 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with their first son, Robert 'Bob' Young, being born in 1942. Young was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a child, in 1951 also suffered from a bout of polio , in what was the last major outbreak of the disease in Ontario. This was in fact the same epidemic in which singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, then aged nine, also contracted the virus. By the mid-1960s, Young decided to leave the Squires and begin touring the folk clubs in Winnipeg. While making his cafe rounds, he met fellow folk musician Joni Mitchell who would later write the song "The Circle Game" in response to the Young's song, "Sugar Mountain." Also during this time, the rock band The Guess Who recorded one of Young's songs, "Flying on the Ground Is Wrong," which would become a Top 40 Canadian hit. In 1966, Young moved to the United States with friend and bass player Bruce Palmer; the two packed their possesions into Young's black hearse and drove the long road to Los Angeles, California. There, Young and Palmer co-founded the band Buffalo Springfield, which also included Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Dewey Martin. Their first album, Buffalo Springfield, which included the Stills-authored hit song "For What It's Worth," was a best-seller and introduced both the band and Young to America. The band grew to attract a large following, and was acclaimed for its experimental and skilled instrumental pieces, inventive songwriting, and harmony-focuses vocal composition. Although Buffalo Springfield fell apart after only a couple of years, the group managed to release two more albums, Buffalo Springfield Again and Last Time Around, in 1967 and 1968, respectively. Despite its short life, Buffalo Springfield was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. It was the first time that Young was enshrined he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame again in 1995, for his solo work. Recently, Young has been on tour promoting his new album “Chrome Dreams II” that was released in August of 2007. He is currently residing in his 1500-acre ranch home that’s located in California.

Nathaniel Adderley always had a flare for music. In fact, he began playing the trumpet when he was just a teenage boy in 1946. Four years later, he switched to the smaller cornet.From 1951-53 he played in the U.S. Army band led by his brother, saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley. He then played a year with Lionel Hampton’s big band from 1954-55. The following year he played with his brother’s first quintet and then toured with J.J. Johnson’s group and the Woody Herman band. In October of 1959, at the height of the popularity of hard bop, Nat and Cannonball got together to create their second quintet; one that proved to be a success from the start. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet made famous some of Nat’s songs, such as “Jive Samba” and “Sermonette.” The two brothers not only created a superb quintet but also pioneered a sub-genre known as “soul jazz.” Nat not only composed, played cornet, and managed the band’s money, but he also took care of his older brother. After Cannonball’s death in 1975, Nat left the quintet and temporarily retired. However, he began to lead his own groups in 1976 and worked with such people as Ron Carter, Sonny Fortune, Johnny Griffin, and Vincent Herring. Nat continued in the music industry until he lost his right leg to complications from diabetes, a disease that eventually led to his death in January of 2000. He is now buried near his brother in the Southside Cemetery of Tallahassee Florida.

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois. Davis was influenced by his blues pianist mother to play the piano at an early age, but he instead chose to go with his father’s preference, the trumpet. His father, a dentist, gave Miles a new trumpet and lessons with a local musician. He began the lessons at the age of 13 and within 3 years was working with and was a part of the musician’s union. In 1944, Davis received a scholarship to the Julliard School of Music in New York City, but Julliard was not his real destination. In NY, Davis teamed up jazz greats Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He quickly moved up to become the trumpet player for Charlie Parker's group for nearly 3 years. Davis released several singles including collaborations with artist Gil Evans, with whom he created a nonet (9 members) that used non-traditional instruments in a jazz setting, such as French horn and Tuba. Davis invented a more subtle, yet still challenging style that became known as "cool jazz." The recordings of the nonet were packaged by Capitol records and released under the name The Birth of the Cool. The group featured Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan, and Max Roach, among others. This was one of the first instances in which Miles demonstrated a recurring move that angered some: he brought in musicians regardless of race. Following his quick found fame, Davis acquired a heroin addiction. In 1953, he returned home to live with his parents and seek out help for his addiction. Davis would return in 1955 and make an immediate impact with his performance of Thelonious Monk's classic Round Midnight at the Newport Jazz festival. He then signed a deal with Columbia Records and released several more albums. Throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s, Davis went on to record many classics and participate in many collaborations, but the late 70’s found him once again addicted to drugs. In 1979, he rekindled a relationship with actress Cicely Tyson who aided him in getting rid of his drug addiction and finding his passion for music once again. The two got married in 1981, but would be divorced by 1988. Davis’ creativity extended beyond his cool sounds to the visual arts. He was a mostly self-taught artist. He became inspired by the Milan-based design movement known as “Memphis” whose theme was based on hot colours and clashing. shapes. Davis worked primarily with acrylic, pastes, pencil and markers, especially favoring large canvasses with ample space. He continued under this influence for nearly two years during which time he created a substantial collection of work. Toward the end of his career, Davis hauled in three Grammy Awards. The first two he received in 1989, one for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist and the second for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band. In 1990 Davis received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. On September 28, 1991 Miles Davis died at the age of 65 due to a stroke, pneumonia, and respiratory failure.

Music & Entertainment Archives - Page 3 of 7 - Gluxus Health

Shirley Horn

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T03:08:43-07:00

Shirley Horn was considered one of the great jazz singers of the nineteen fifties and sixties. She was often compared to the famous singers Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan. She performed for more than fifty years. Shirley Horn's [...]

Learn More View Project

Rick James

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T03:05:28-07:00

Musician and singer James Ambrose Johnson, Jr., better known as Ricj James, was born on February 1, 1948, in Buffalo, New York. The third of eight children, Rick James was raised in a strict Catholic household by his single mother. [...]

Learn More View Project

Ray Anderson

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T03:01:15-07:00

Ray Anderson born October 16, 1952 in Chicago, Illinois is an independent jazz trombone and trumpet player. Anderson is a boisterous trombonist who is masterful at multiphonics. Trained by the Chicago Symphony trombonists, he is regarded as pushing the limits [...]

Learn More View Project

Phife Dawg

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2019-02-03T18:47:32-08:00

Malik Isaac Taylor born November 20, 1970, better known by his stage name Phife Dawg, is an American rapper of Trinidadian descent, and a member of the acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest with high school classmates Q-Tip and Ali [...]

Learn More View Project

Peggy Lee

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T02:53:21-07:00

Peggy Lee was an American jazz singer, songwriter and actress whose career spanned six decades. In 1942 Lee had her first 1 hit, "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place." Peggy Lee grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota to Marvin, a [...]

Learn More View Project

Patti LaBelle

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T02:50:28-07:00

Singer. Born Patricia Louise Holte on May 24, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to parents Henry Holte, a railroad worker, and Bertha Robinson Holte, a homemaker. A shy girl, Patricia gained confidence through her singing, which she did every Sunday in [...]

Learn More View Project

Norman Whitfield

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2019-02-03T18:47:32-08:00

Whitfield was a native of Harlem, New York, and spent much of his teen years in local pool halls. In his late teens, he and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan, so that his father could join his sister and [...]

Learn More View Project

Neil Young

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T02:43:45-07:00

Neil Percival Young was born in Toronto, Canada on 12 November 1945. His father, Scott Alexander Young was a journalist and sportswriter who would later rise to prominence in Canada for his work.His mother, Edna Blow Ragland "Rassy" Young was [...]

Learn More View Project

Nat Adderley

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T02:40:08-07:00

Nathaniel Adderley always had a flare for music. In fact, he began playing the trumpet when he was just a teenage boy in 1946. Four years later, he switched to the smaller cornet.From 1951-53 he played in the U.S. Army [...]

Learn More View Project

Miles Davis

Music & Entertainment

Gluxus Admin2013-06-18T02:37:22-07:00

Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois. Davis was influenced by his blues pianist mother to play the piano at an early age, but he instead chose to go with his father’s preference, the trumpet. His [...]

Learn More View Project