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Miles Davis
Trumpet PlayerAbout
Jazz trumpeter and composer who broke long-held musical norms and helped popularize bebop and jazz fusion. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, 15 years after his death.
Before Fame
He claimed that he was slapped on his knuckles by his instructor Elwood Buchanan whenever he played with vibrato. He was heavily influenced by Clark Terry during his formative years.
Trivia
- His most famous musical album was "Kind of Blue," which was released in 1959 by Columbia Records. It was voted in as a national treasure by the House of Representatives in 2009 on its 50th anniversary.
Family Life
He rode horses on his parents' ranch in northern Arkansas. He married his third wife Cicely Tyson on November 26, 1981. He had four children: Cheryl, Miles IV, Gregory and Erin.
Associated With
He structured his 1948 band as a nonet with a tuba, thus emulating jazz legend Duke Ellington.
Quotes
"If you understood everything I said, you’d be me"
Miles Davis
"Man, sometimes it takes you a long time to sound like yourself."
Miles Davis
"Don't play what's there; play what's not there."
Miles Davis
"Do not fear mistakes - there are none."
Miles Davis
"It’s like, how did Columbus discover America when the Indians were already here? What kind of shit is that, but white people’s shit?"
Miles Davis
"Anybody can play. The note is only 20 percent. The attitude of the motherfucker who plays it is 80 percent."
Miles Davis
"My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life."
Miles Davis
"Knowledge is freedom and ignorance is slavery."
Miles Davis
"When you’re creating your own shit, man, even the sky ain’t the limit."
Miles Davis
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