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American jazz trumpeter and vocalist renowned for his lyrical trumpet style, fragile singing voice, and embodiment of West Coast cool jazz. Baker rose to fame in the early 1950s with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. He achieved solo stardom but battled severe heroin addiction for decades, leading to arrests, incarcerations, and physical decline. Despite his struggles, he recorded prolifically until his mysterious death in Amsterdam.

• Baker's striking looks and 'James Dean' image significantly boosted his early popularity, earning him the nickname 'The Prince of Cool'.
• His heroin addiction began in the 1950s and led to repeated arrests across Europe and the US, resulting in prison time and deportation from multiple countries, severely disrupting his career.
• In 1966, Baker was brutally beaten after a drug deal went wrong, resulting in the loss of several teeth and extensive damage to his embouchure. He retrained himself to play using dentures, making a remarkable musical comeback.
• Baker died after falling from the window of his second-floor hotel room in Amsterdam. Heroin and cocaine were found in his system and room. The death was officially ruled an accident, but theories of suicide or foul murder persist due to unclear circumstances.