In Memoriam: Miles Davis' Sad Cause Of Death

Instrumental in the development of jazz, Miles Davis is considered one of the top musicians of his era. Born in Illinois in 1926, he traveled at age 18 to New York City to pursue music. History began to be formed.

Throughout his life, he was at the helm of a changing concept of jazz. Winner of eight Grammy awards, Davis died in 1991 from respiratory distress in Santa Monica, California.

Davis quickly developed a talent for playing the trumpet under the private tutelage of Elwood Buchanan, a friend of his father who directed a music school. Buchanan emphasized playing the trumpet without vibrato, which was contrary to the common style used by trumpeters such as Louis Armstrong.

Soon after his 17th brithday, Davis left Illinois for New York City, where he would soon enroll at the prestigious and world renown Juilliard School. He is still considered their most illustrious alum.

In 1945, Davis elected, with his father's permission, to drop out of Juilliard and become a full-time jazz musician. A member of the Charlie Parker Quintet at the time, Davis made his first recording as a bandleader in 1946 with the Miles Davis Sextet.

avis refused to tolerate any racial disrespect. In later years, Miles would stir controversy time and again by angrily, bluntly excoriating white America for its racism. His rage was the result, perhaps, of growing up with a strict father who was, in the parlance of the times, a strong "race man" and an admirer of the pioneering black nationalist, Marcus Garvey.

This marked much of his social impact and underscored his overall legacy. In the early 1950s, Davis became addicted to heroin. While he was still able to record, it was a difficult period for the musician and his performances were haphazard.

Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Davis dominated the jazz scene, even though he was still heavily involved with substance abuse.

Davis reinvented himself yet again in 1986 with the release of Tutu. Incorporating synthesizers, drum loops and samples, the album was well-received and garnered Davis another Grammy Award.

In 1991, he played with Quincy Jones at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The two performed a retrospective of Davis's early work. Later that same year, on September 28, 1991, Davis succumbed to pneumonia and respiratory failure, dying at the age of 65.