Herbie Hancock, Piano and Keyboards
Born in Chicago in 1940, Hancock was a child piano prodigy who performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 11. In 1960, he was discovered by trumpeter Donald Byrd, and signed with Blue Note as a solo artist two years later. His 1963 debut album, Takin’ Off, was an immediate success, producing the hit Watermelon Man. In 1973, he recorded Head Hunters, which with its crossover hit single Chameleon, became the first jazz album to go platinum. His ’70s output inspired and provided samples for generations of hip-hop and dance music artists.
In 1983, a new pull to the alternative side led Hancock to a series of collaborations with Bill Laswell. The first, Future Shock, again struck platinum, and the single Rockit rocked the dance and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance. He won an Oscar in 1986 for scoring the film Round Midnight, in which he also appeared as an actor. In 2007, Hancock released River: The Joni Letters, a tribute to long-time friend and collaborator Joni Mitchell. The album garnered three Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year; Hancock is one of only a handful of jazz musicians ever to receive that honour.
Hancock serves as Creative Chair for Jazz at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and as Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2011, he was designated a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He was the recipient of a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor in 2013, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.