Donald Byrd | |
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![]() Byrd in 1964 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II |
Born | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | December 9, 1932
Died | February 4, 2013 Dover, Delaware, U.S. | (aged 80)
Genres | |
Occupation | Musician |
Instruments |
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Years active | 1954–2013 |
Labels | |
Education |
Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II[1] (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist.[2] A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop musicians who successfully explored funk and soul while remaining a jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd was an influence on the early career of Herbie Hancock and many others.