Voting Station

Donald Byrd

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Musician

The Resume

    (December 9, 1932-February 4, 2013)
    Born in Detroit, Michigan
    Full name was Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II
    Jazz trumpeter
    Sideman with Lionel Hampton, Art Blakey, Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and Herbie Hancock
    Recorded the albums 'Off to the Races' (1959), 'Royal Flush' (1961), 'Free Form' (1961), 'A New Perspective' (1963), 'Mustang' (1966), 'Blackjack' (1967), 'Electric Byrd' (1970), 'Black Byrd' (1973), 'Street Lady' (1973), 'Places and Spaces' (1975), 'Words, Sounds, Colors and Shapes' (1983), 'Harlem Blues' (1987) and 'A City Called Heaven' (1991)

Why he might be annoying:

    Several of his album titles were puns based on his name: 'Byrd's Eye View,' 'Byrd in Hand,' 'Byrd in Flight,' etc.
    He performed in commercials for Budweiser.
    He complained about white critics, like Leonard Feather and Nat Hentoff, reviewing jazz.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He earned a law degree from Columbia (1976).
    His 'Black Byrd' was the best-selling album in the history of the Blue Note jazz label.
    While teaching music at Howard University, he organized his top students into the band Blackbyrd, which recorded the hits 'Walking in Rhythm' and 'Happy Music.'
    His records have been sampled by Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest and Nas.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 95 Votes: 65.26% Annoying