Jazz Singers
Jazz singers are musicians who compose and sing jazz music, a genre dating back to early 1800s. Jazz singers are often composers also and play instruments and compose songs and albums for the music lovers. A jazz singer is often associated with other forms of music like blues, reggae and ragtime. Jazz singers often form a band with other members playing instruments like guitar, piano etc. Jazz singers travel a lot of places across the globe to play for their fans. Like many other musicians Jazz singers offer their audiences a different world to unwind and let go. This genre of music has survived for a century now and is still as famous as ever. Jazz singers have now modernized their music and there are new forms like acid jazz which include modern elements like synthesizer, whereas Jazzcore is for heavy metal lovers and Punk jazz combines with punk rock music. However, the jazz music is still popular for its inherent charm and the singers are working hard to keep the tradition alive. From Miles Davis to Wynton Marsalis, there have been eminent jazz singers around the world who have redefined the art time and again. To discover more about famous Jazz singers enter this space and read their biographies which include their life histories, interesting facts and trivia.
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Birthdate: May 13, 1950
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, United States
American singer and songwriter, Stevie Wonder, is one of most influential and the best-selling musicians of all time. That Girl, Gotta Have You, I Just Called to Say I Love You, Part-Time Lover and Happy Birthday are some of his chartbuster songs. He has won many awards and accolades, including 25 Grammy Awards.
2
Billie Holiday(One of the Greatest Jazz Singers from the 1930s to the 1950s)
Birthdate: April 7, 1915
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: July 17, 1959
Jazz legend Billie Holiday had a tumultuous childhood and ended up in prison due to prostitution. Upon her release, at 14, she started singing using her pseudonym and performed at sold-out Carnegie Hall shows. Nicknamed Lady Day, she was riddled with alcohol and drug issues. She won four posthumous Grammys.
3
Sade
(Frontwoman of the Soul Band Sade)
Birthdate: January 16, 1959
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ibadan, Nigeria
Nigerian-British singer Helen Folasade Adu, or Sade Adu, often blends Afro-Cuban tunes with soul and smooth jazz in her music. The Grammy Award winner had initially studied fashion designing and been a model. The founder of the band Sade, she has released iconic tracks such as No Ordinary Love.
Birthdate: August 6, 1981
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Queens, New York City, New York
A passion for acting and singing since his early life, made Leslie Odom Jr an accomplished artist of stage, television, films and music industry. Debuting at the age of seventeen, his best performance came with the role of Aaron Burr in Broadway musical Hamilton. The talented artist also has three solo jazz albums and a published book in his resume.
5
Ella Fitzgerald(Jazz Singer Who was Noted for Her Purity of Tone and Impeccable Diction)
Birthdate: April 25, 1917
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Newport News, Virginia, United States
Died: June 15, 1996
Ella Fitzgerald was an American jazz singer. Referred to as the Queen of Jazz, First Lady of Song, and Lady Ella, Fitzgerald was renowned for her impeccable diction, purity of tone, timing, and intonation. The winner of Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Arts, Fitzgerald's legacy lives on several years after her death.
6
Norah Jones
(One of the Best-Selling Jazz Artists & Daughter of Indian Sitarist and Composer Ravi Shankar)
Birthdate: March 30, 1979
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Manhattan, New York, United States
Norah Jones is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. Having sold over 50 million records worldwide, Jones is one of the most successful and best-selling singers of her generation. She was ranked 60th on the artists of the 2000s decade list published by Billboard magazine. Norah Jones has won several prestigious awards including multiple Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
Birthdate: September 11, 1967
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Grammy-winning singer-actor Harry Connick Jr. was born to a lawyer mother and an attorney father, who also owned a record store. He mastered the piano as a child and formed his first jazz band at 10. He later soared to fame with the multi-platinum soundtrack of When Harry Met Sally...
8
Bobby Darin
(Pop vocalist who released the hits "Mack the Knife," "Dream Lover," and "Beyond the Sea.")
Birthdate: May 14, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: East Harlem, New York, United States
Died: December 20, 1973
Birthdate: March 25, 1966
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Toronto
Died: March 2, 2008
Jeff Healey was a Canadian blues-rock and jazz vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist. Apart from establishing his own career, Jeff Healey also helped develop the careers of several other musicians, including Philip Sayce, Terra Hazelton, and Amanda Meta Marshall. For his contribution to music, Jeff Healey was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame and the Terry Fox Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: September 2, 1955
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
Birthdate: June 8, 1944
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Canton, Ohio, USA
12
Johnny Mathis
(American Jazz and Pop Singer Best Known for His Hit 'Chances Are')
Birthdate: September 30, 1935
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Gilmer, Texas, United States
Johnny Mathis is an American singer and songwriter. Best known for his contribution to popular music, Mathis has been honored with many awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Society of Singers Lifetime Achievement Award. Johnny Mathis is also renowned for his philanthropic efforts; he has supported such organizations as the American Cancer Society and Muscular Dystrophy Association.
13
Bessie Smith(One of the Greatest Female Blues Singers of the 1930s)
Birthdate: April 15, 1894
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States
Died: September 26, 1937
Bessie Smith was an American singer who gained popularity during the Jazz Age. Dubbed the Empress of the Blues, Smith was one of the most famous blues singers of the 1920s and 1930s. Counted among the greatest singers of her generation, Bessie Smith was a major influence on several other singers. Her life and work inspired the TV film Bessie.
14
Della Reese(Known for Her 1959 Hit Single 'Don't You Know?' and Her Role in the TV Series 'Touched by an Angel')
Birthdate: July 6, 1931
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Black Bottom, Detroit, United States
Died: November 19, 2017
Jazz and gospel singer and actor Della Reese, who was also an ordained minister, gained fame with tracks such as Don't You Know? and Some of her best-known films were Harlem Nights and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. She played Tess in the series Touched by an Angel.
Birthdate: November 16, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Nanaimo, British Columbia
Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. With several gold and multi-platinum albums under her belt, Krall is regarded as one of the best-selling artists of her generation. In 2009, Billboard called her the second-greatest jazz artist of the 2000–09 decade. In 2004, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Birthdate: December 25, 1907
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Rochester
Died: November 18, 1994
Jazz singer and dancer, Cab Calloway, was a famous vocalist of the swing era. From the early 1930s to the late 1940s, he led a very popular band that included musicians like Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham. A man of color, he became the first African-American musician to sell a million records from a single song.
Birthdate: February 10, 1939
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Black Mountain, North Carolina, United States
18
Macy Gray
(Singer-songwriter)
Birthdate: September 6, 1967
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Canton, Ohio, United States
Birthdate: May 26, 1920
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Jamestown, North Dakota, United States
Died: January 21, 2002
Birthdate: June 26, 1951
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City, United States
Robert Davi is best known as Jake Fratelli from The Goonies, Johnson from Die Hard, and Franz Sanchez from Licence to Kill. He also appeared as Bailey Malone in the series Profiler. A trained classical singer, he has released a Billboard-charting jazz album. He has also been a radio host.
Birthdate: March 12, 1940
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Died: February 12, 2017
22
Louis Prima
(Singer-songwriter)
Birthdate: December 7, 1910
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: August 24, 1978
23
Rachael MacFarlane
(Voice actress who became known for her voice work on shows like Codename: Kids Next Door, Family Guy, and American Dad)
Birthdate: March 21, 1976
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kent, Connecticut, United States
Birthdate: February 16, 1918
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mound, Minnesota, United States
Died: January 13, 2013
25
Rubén Blades
(Panamanian Musician & Singer Who Mainly Performs in 'Salsa' and 'Latin Jazz' Genres)
Birthdate: July 16, 1948
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Panama City, Panama
With 10 Grammy Awards, Panamanian musician, singer, and composer Rubén Blades didn’t just soar to international fame but also redefined the Latin jazz and salsa genres. A qualified lawyer from Harvard, he came to be known as the Latin Bruce Springsteen for his music that mirrored social issues.
Birthdate: August 12, 1954
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lee's Summit
27
Sunny Ozell
(Singer-Songwriter)
Birthdate: December 23, 1978
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Reno, Nevada, U.S.
28
Tony Hadley
(Best Known as the Lead Vocalist for New Romantic Band 'Spandau Ballet')
Birthdate: June 2, 1960
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Islington, London, England
Tony Hadley is a British singer-songwriter and radio presenter. He is best known for his association with the New Romantic band Spandau Ballet where he was the lead singer. Tony Hadley is also well-known for his humanitarian efforts; he is a patron of many charitable organizations like Shooting Star Chase, The Huntington's Disease Association (HDA), and The Lowe Syndrome Trust.
Birthdate: October 18, 1947
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, USA
Died: April 8, 1997
30
Nina Simone(One of the Most Influential Musical Artists of the 20th Century)
Birthdate: February 21, 1933
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tryon, North Carolina, United States
Died: April 21, 2003
Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Nina Simone was a pioneering recording artist whose career was characterized by improvisational genius and fits of outrage. Nina continues to be an important musician and has influenced several artists like Elton John, Adele, David Bowie, Madonna, and Aretha Franklin. She was also a civil rights activist.
Birthdate: August 19, 1948
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
32
Nancy Wilson
(Notable for Her Single ‘(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am')
Birthdate: February 20, 1937
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chillicothe, Ohio, United States
Died: December 13, 2018
Birthdate: March 27, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States
Died: April 3, 1990
Birthdate: August 29, 1924
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States
Died: December 14, 1963
Birthdate: July 6, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: June 30, 1995
Birthdate: November 8, 1954
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Birthdate: May 1, 1907
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Greenville, Virginia, USA
Died: June 17, 1986
38
Imelda May
(Singer Known for Her Musical Style of Rockabilly Revival)
Birthdate: July 10, 1974
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
Irish singer Imelda May, who has released chart-topping albums such as Love Tattoo, is also a talented multi-instrumentalist, well-versed in a wide range of instruments such as the guitar, the bodhrán, the tambourine. She also became a published poet with her volume A Lick and a Promise.
Birthdate: February 29, 1960
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Oran, Algeria
40
Leon Redbone
(Former singer-songwriter and musician best recognized for his songs "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" and "Ain't Misbehaving".)
Birthdate: August 26, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Cyprus
Died: May 30, 2019
Birthdate: October 7, 1927
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died: October 13, 2009
Birthdate: December 28, 1989
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lisbon, Portugal
Birthdate: January 14, 1938
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
44
Astrud Gilberto
(Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova Singer Best Known for Her Song 'The Girl from Ipanema')
Birthdate: March 29, 1940
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Astrud Gilberto is a Brazilian singer best known as an exponent of bossa nova and samba. She achieved international recognition in the 1960s after the release of her song The Girl from Ipanema. In 1992, she was honored with the Latin Jazz USA Award. In 2002, Astrud Gilberto was made an inductee of the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.
45
David Knopfler
(British Singer and Founder of the Popular Rock Band 'Dire Straits')
Birthdate: December 27, 1952
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland
David Knopfler is a British singer and songwriter. He is credited with founding the popular rock band Dire Straits. David Knopfler embarked upon a solo career after leaving Dire Straits in the early 1980s. He then went on to release albums like Release, Behind the Lines, and Lips Against the Steel.
Birthdate: March 30, 1913
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Died: February 6, 2007
47
Antônio Carlos Jobim
(One of the Greatest Exponents of Brazilian Music and Primary Creator of 'Bossa Nova' Style)
Birthdate: January 25, 1927
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Died: December 8, 1994
Antônio Carlos Jobim was a Brazilian pianist, guitarist, composer, arranger, singer, and songwriter. He is credited with popularizing a style of samba called bossa nova by merging it with jazz with the help of American artists in the 1960s. He played an important role in creating the bossa nova style and is referred to as the father of bossa nova.
Birthdate: July 22, 1954
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Birthdate: November 17, 1966
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
50
Roy Ayers
(Jazz Composer Best Known for His Compositions: 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine' and 'Searchin')
Birthdate: September 10, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
One of the greatest vibraphone players of all time, Roy Ayers was a pioneer of jazz-funk and acid jazz. Born to a trombone player father and a pianist mother, he was destined to be a musician. He soared to fame with tracks such as Everybody Loves the Sunshine.