Dizzy Gillespie Birthplace 13-6
Posted by: 
unimoggers
N 34° 41.931 W 079° 53.577
17S E 601391 N 3840205
This is the place to come to! I visited with three people while visiting this area and one was a secterian native of the area.
Waymark Code: WM1M6Q
Location: South Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 05/30/2007
Views: 107
Marker Text:
Dizzy Gillespie Birthplace
John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie was born in a house on this site on Oct. 21, 1917. His family lived here until they moved to Philadelphia in 1935. A founder of modern jazz, Gillespie was an innovative trumpeter and bandleader known for his bent horn, bulging cheeks, sense of humor, and showmanship. In the 1950s he became a good will ambassador for the U.S. State Dept., playing concerts around the world.
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Gillespie was invited to perform at the White House by eight presidents from Eisenhouse to George Bush. He received the National Medal of Arts, the highest prize awarded to an American artist, in 1989 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1990 for his lifetime contributions to American culture. Among his best-known songs were "A Night in Tunisia" and "Salt Peanuts." He died in New Jersey Jan. 6, 1993.
Erected by the Pee Wee Committee, Colonial Dames of America in the State of South Carolina, 2001
Go here: (
visit link) to hear some of his music while you work at your desk.
The three people who were here on Memorial Day told me that local high school students designed and created these fabulous sculptures. Take a moment to review the pictures. I included a couple sculptures' artists' names. Enjoy!