Clifford Brown

Trumpeter Clifford Brown, a brilliant improviser and a model for clean-living in jazz, was born  (October 3) in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1930.Brown was a pioneering trumpeter when it came to bebop and hard-bop, an artist whose effervescent personality, warm tone and wonderfully coherent improvisations influenced jazz musicians the world over. But his impact on the music extended far beyond his technique. He never used drugs, rarely drank .He is said to have personally helped saxophonist Sonny Rollins overcome a heroin addiction, and in doing so became an important role model to musicians who sought to pursue their art while maintaining a full, wholesome grasp on life.