(Encyclopedia) Marley, Bob (Robert Nesta Marley), 1945–81, Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, and guitarist. As a member of the Wailers, a reggae band…
(Encyclopedia) thrush, bird, common name for members of the Turdidae, a large family of birds found in most parts of the world and noted for their beautiful song. The majority are modestly colored,…
(Encyclopedia) Scruggs, Earl Eugene, 1924–2012, American banjo player, b. Flint Hill, N.C. He developed a distinctive syncopated, three-finger style on the five-string banjo that changed the way it…
(Encyclopedia) Chevalier, MauriceChevalier, Mauriceshəvălˈyā, Fr. mōrēsˈ shəvälyāˈ [key], 1888–1972, French singer and film actor. He made his debut in 1900 singing and dancing at the Casino de…
(Encyclopedia) Gilberto, João (João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira), 1931–2019, Brazilian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. With Carlos Jobim and others, he created the cool, sophisticated…
(Encyclopedia) Farinelli, Carlo BroschiFarinelli, Carlo Broschikärˈlō brôˈskē färēnĕlˈlē [key], 1705–82, Italian male soprano, greatest of the castrati (see castrato), pupil of Niccolò Porpora, in…
(Encyclopedia) Herbert, Victor, 1859–1924, Irish-American cellist, composer, and conductor, studied at the Stuttgart Conservatory. In 1886 the Metropolitan Opera Company engaged his wife, Therese…
(Encyclopedia) Baez, JoanBaez, Joanbīpstr;ĕz, bäˈ– [key], 1941–, American folk singer and political activist, b. New York City. Baez began singing traditional folk ballads, blues, and spirituals in…
(Encyclopedia) Walker, Albertina, 1929–2010, African-American gospel singer and composer, b. Chicago. A protégé of Mahalia Jackson, she sang with two gospel groups before founding (1951) the Caravans…
(Encyclopedia) Watson, Doc (Arthel Lane Watson), 1923–2012, American country-music singer and musician, b. Stony Fork, N.C. Blind from infancy, he learned to play the harmonica, banjo, and guitar in…
