Miles Davis
American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer who reshaped modern music across five decadesIconic innovator who pioneered bebop, cool jazz, modal jazz, and jazz fusion; recorded landmark albums like 'Kind of Blue' and 'Bitches Brew'
- Overcame heroin addiction in the early 1950s through self-imposed isolation and intense practice sessions
- Survived a brutal 1959 NYPD beating outside Birdland club that fractured his skull, leading to years of painkiller dependency
- Retired abruptly in 1975 due to excruciating hip pain, depression, and creative burnout, disappearing for five years
- Died from stroke complications exacerbated by pneumonia and respiratory failure; buried with his trumpet in Woodlawn Cemetery
