Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Chick Corea

Role / Field:

Pioneering jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader known for fusion and Latin styles.

Born:

1941-06-12

Died:

2021-02-09

Century / Era:

1941s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and "Windows" are considered jazz standards. As a member of the Miles Davis band in the late 1960s, Corea participated in the birth of jazz fusion. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Along with McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, Corea is considered one of the foremost pianists of the post-John Coltrane era. Corea continued to collaborate frequently while exploring different musical styles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He won 29 Grammy Awards and has been nominated for the award 79 times. Armando Corea was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, to parents Anna (née Zaccone) and Armando J. Corea.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

His father's family was from Albi, a commune in the Province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy. His father, a trumpeter who led a Dixieland band in Boston in the 1930s and 1940s, introduced him to the piano at the age of four. Surrounded by jazz, he was influenced at an early age by bebop and musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Adam Kuper — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Influential British social anthropologist known for research in Southern Africa.
• Adnan Khayr Allah — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iraqi military officer and Minister of Defense, closely associated with the Ba'ath regime.
• Alan Mullery — Contemporary (Born in 1941) (1941): Iconic English footballer and manager known for his time at Fulham and Spurs.
• Aaron Beck — Contemporary (Died in 2021) (2021): Father of Cognitive Therapy and CBT, revolutionizing psychiatric treatment.
• Abdul Qadeer Khan — Contemporary (Died in 2021) (2021): Pakistani nuclear physicist, known as the 'father of Pakistan's atomic weapons program'
• Abimael Guzmán — Contemporary (Died in 2021) (2021): Peruvian Maoist revolutionary leader, founder of the Shining Path.
• Adriana Lima — Shared historical date (06-12 · Born) (1981): Iconic Brazilian model, celebrated for her long tenure as a Victoria's Secret Angel.
• Al-Zamakhshari — Shared historical date (06-12 · Died) (1144): Pioneering scholar of Quranic exegesis, linguistics, and theology.
• Adolf Galland — Shared historical date (02-09 · Died) (1996): German Luftwaffe general and celebrated flying ace of World War II.
• Adolph Menzel — Shared historical date (02-09 · Died) (1905): Pioneering German Realist master, celebrated for his detailed etchings and genre scenes.
• 1941 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1941
• June 12 (06-12) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 12
• 2021 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2021
• February 9 (02-09) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 9

Frequently Asked Questions about Chick Corea