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German film score composer and record producer Hans Zimmer has composed music for over 150 films so far. He developed a love for music as a child and started playing professionally when he was in his teens. He eventually ventured into films. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards and three Classical BRIT Awards.
Keith Moon was an English drummer whose drug addiction and self-destructive behavior overshadowed his contribution to the rock band The Who. His drumming continues to attract appreciation from critics. Several other drummers like Dave Grohl and Neil Peart have cited Moon's drumming style as an influence. In 1982, he was inducted posthumously into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.
Neil Peart was a Canadian songwriter, author, and musician. Best known as the drummer of the popular rock band Rush, Peart was nicknamed The Professor for his technical proficiency. In 1983, Neil Peart became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Modern Drummer publication's Readers Poll Hall of Fame.
Leonard Bernstein was an American composer, music educator, conductor, pianist, author, and humanitarian. One of the most important cultural personalities of 20th century America, Bernstein influenced many generations of musicians. He is also credited with mentoring famous conductors like John Mauceri, Herbert Blomstedt, Alexander Frey, Marin Alsop, and Edo de Waart among many others.
Antonín Dvořák was a Czech composer who achieved worldwide recognition for his works. His life and career inspired the 1980 historical biographical film Concert at the End of Summer, in which Dvořák was played by actor Josef Vinklář. Canadian children's author Ian Krykorka has based many of his works on some of Antonín Dvořák's operas.
Alex Lifeson is a Canadian songwriter, musician, and record producer. He co-founded the progressive rock band Rush and serves as its guitarist. He plays electric and acoustic guitars and can also play other string instruments, such as mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki. Besides music, he is a licensed aircraft pilot and an actor. He has appeared in some TV shows.
Avicii was a Swedish international DJ, remixer, musician and songwriter. He attained fame with his single, Levels, in 2011. His debut studio album, True, released in 2013 received positive reviews. His second studio album, Stories, was released in 2015. He suffered from mental health issues and died by suicide at age 28. His third album, Tim, was released posthumously in 2019.
Co-founder of the rock band Kiss, Gene Simmons is also known by his stage persona, The Demon. With his band, he has over 25 gold-certified albums. A devoted philanthropist, he has donated to charities related to underprivileged children. He created an animated series and owns a magazine and a label.
Co-founder of the rock band, Pink Floyd, Roger Waters is celebrated singer, songwriter and composer. Beginning his career with rhythm guitar, he initially served solely as a bassist in Pink Floyd before emerging as their lyricist, co-lead vocalist, and conceptual leader. Later he left the group due to creative difference and embarked on his solo career, releasing numerous albums and singles
Charlie Parker was an American composer and jazz saxophonist. A highly influential soloist, Parker played a significant role in the development of a form of jazz called bebop. He is also credited with introducing harmonic ideas into jazz, such as chord substitutions and rapid passing chords. His contribution to jazz and bebop made him an icon of the hipster subculture.
Billy Preston was an American musician and top session keyboardist who worked with popular artists like Ray Charles, Reverend James Cleveland, Sam Cooke, and the Beatles. A two-time Grammy Award winner, Preston struggled throughout his life with his sexual orientation. He chose not to come out as gay until before his death, due to his religious beliefs.
Retired singer, songwriter, and bassist, Peter Cetera, first gained fame as an original member of the rock band Chicago. He later launched a successful solo career as well. He often collaborated with David Foster and Amy Grant over the course of his long career. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
Lita Ford is an English-born American vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She is best known as the lead guitarist for The Runaways, a now-defunct rock band. Also a humanitarian, Ford took part in a cooking television game show titled Chopped in an attempt to raise $10,000 for her charity. In the 2010 film The Runaways, Ford was played by Scout Taylor-Compton.
Joan Jett, also known as The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, is the frontwoman of Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, best known for their rendition of the Arrows song I Love Rock 'n Roll, which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Jett also released the hit Cherry Bomb with the Runaways.
David Allan Coe is a singer-songwriter who played a major role in the prosperity of the '1970s' outlaw country scene. Coe, who initially gained prominence for busking, had spent his early life in prisons and reform schools. He then came up with hit songs like Take This Job and Shove It, which inspired the 1981 film of the same name.
A singer-songwriter whose music generally falls into the Alternative R&B category, August Alsina is a young man who is applauded not just for his musical talents but also for his zest for life. He suffers from an autoimmune disease that attacks his liver, and he is constantly fighting to live a normal life.
Zedd is a Russian-German songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He is best known for his 2012 single, Clarity, which earned him a Grammy Award in 2014 after peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although he mainly performs and produces electro house music, Zedd also draws inspiration from dubstep, progressive house, and classical music.
Born Shahrzad Fooladi, to Iranian parents in Sweden, Snoh Aalegra had started writing songs by age 9 and signed with Sony at age 13. She changed her name after moving to the US and soared to fame with her chartbusting tracks such as I Want You Around and Find Someone Like You.
