- Faith: Bahai
- Career: Musician
- Birthday: October 21, 1917
- Date of Death: January 06, 1993
From the breath he held in his cheeks while he played his trumpet to the upswept horn he played, the late Dizzy Gillespie was a unique character and talent in jazz music. The youngest of nine children born in South Carolina, John Birks Gillespie followed in his father’s footsteps as a musician, first learning piano then the trumpet. Gillespie was known for popularizing bebop, an up-tempo form of jazz that thrived on creativity and improvisation. He remained a popular figure and jazz and popular culture, even appearing as himself on The Cosby Show.
Regarding Gillespie's religion, he was known for being a part of the Baha'i faith. It is considered to be an independent religion, with possible influence from Islam.
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