Herbie Hancock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Herbert Jeffrey Hancock
Born	(1940-04-12) April 12, 1940 (age 85) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Grinnell College Roosevelt University Manhattan School of Music
Genres	Jazz post-bop modal jazz jazz fusion jazz-funk electro pop
Occupation(s)	Musician composer bandleader record producer actor
Instruments	Keyboards keytar vocoder synthesizer
Years active	1961–present
Labels	Columbia Blue Note Warner Bros. Verve

Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He is famous for playing the piano and other keyboards. Herbie Hancock started his music journey with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group.

Soon after, he joined the Miles Davis Quintet, a very important jazz group. Here, he helped create a new sound called post-bop. In the 1970s, he explored new music styles like jazz fusion, funk, and electro. He used many different synthesizers and electronic instruments. During this time, he released his famous album Head Hunters.

Some of Hancock's most well-known songs are "Cantaloupe Island", "Watermelon Man", "Maiden Voyage", and "Chameleon". These songs are now considered jazz standards. In the 1980s, he had a big hit with the electronic song "Rockit". This song was made with bassist and producer Bill Laswell.

Herbie Hancock has won many awards, including an Academy Award and 14 Grammy Awards. One of his Grammys was for Album of the Year for his 2007 album River: The Joni Letters, which honored singer Joni Mitchell. In 2024, a music critic named Neil McCormick said Hancock was the greatest keyboard player ever.

Since 2012, Hancock has been a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He teaches jazz music there. He also leads the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, which helps young jazz musicians.

Herbie Hancock's Early Life

Herbie Hancock was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents named him after the singer and actor Herb Jeffries. He started playing the piano when he was seven years old. Everyone could see he had a special talent for music.

When he was 11, he played a Mozart piano concert with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. This showed how gifted he was at a young age. Even though he never had a jazz teacher, he learned a lot by listening to jazz pianists like George Shearing and Oscar Peterson.

In 1960, he met a pianist named Chris Anderson. Herbie asked Anderson to teach him, and Anderson became his mentor in music harmony. Herbie Hancock graduated from Grinnell College in 1960. He earned degrees in both electrical engineering and music. Later, he moved to Chicago and started working with jazz musicians like Donald Byrd.

His first solo album, Takin' Off, came out in 1962. One song from that album, "Watermelon Man", became a hit for another musician, Mongo Santamaría. More importantly, Takin' Off caught the attention of Miles Davis, a famous trumpeter. Miles Davis invited Herbie Hancock to join his new band.

Herbie Hancock's Music Career

Joining the Miles Davis Quintet (1963–1968)

In 1963, Herbie Hancock became a key member of Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet. Miles Davis saw Hancock as one of the most promising jazz talents. The band was young but very strong, with bassist Ron Carter, drummer Tony Williams, and Hancock on piano. Later, Wayne Shorter joined on saxophone. Many people think this group was one of the best jazz bands ever.

While playing with Miles Davis, Hancock also recorded many albums for the Blue Note record label. Some were his own albums, and others were with famous musicians like Wayne Shorter and Freddie Hubbard. He also created music for films, including the movie Blowup (1966).

Miles Davis started adding rock and pop music elements to his songs. Hancock began playing electric keyboards, like the Fender Rhodes electric piano, at Davis's request. Hancock quickly learned these new instruments, which became very important for his future music.

The Mwandishi Era (1971–1973)

Hancock around 1970

After leaving Miles Davis's band in 1969, Hancock signed with Warner Bros. Records. He became very interested in electronic musical instruments. This led to a series of albums where he mixed electronic sounds with traditional instruments.

Hancock formed a new group that included Buster Williams on bass, Billy Hart on drums, and horn players Eddie Henderson and Bennie Maupin. Later, Patrick Gleeson joined to play and program the synthesizers.

This group made three albums: Mwandishi (1971), Crossings (1972), and Sextant (1973). These albums were known for their strong improvisational style and electronic music influences. Hancock sometimes used the Swahili name "Mwandishi" (meaning "writer") during this time, which is why these albums are called the "Mwandishi" albums.

Head Hunters and Jazz-Funk (1973–1976)

Hancock (left) with the Headhunters

In 1973, Hancock formed a new band called The Headhunters. Only Bennie Maupin stayed from his previous group. New members included bassist Paul Jackson, percussionist Bill Summers, and drummer Harvey Mason. Their album Head Hunters (1973) was a huge success. It became popular with pop music fans, even though some jazz fans had mixed feelings. Many years later, critics still say Head Hunters sounds fresh and influenced jazz, funk, soul, and hip-hop music.

After Head Hunters, the band released another album called Thrust in 1974. Hancock continued to make more commercial albums, often with members of The Headhunters, but not always under the band's name. The Headhunters later reunited with Hancock in 1998.

Hancock also wrote music for films during this time, like The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) and the first Death Wish film (1974). His later jazz-funk albums in the 1970s included Man-Child (1975) and Secrets (1976). These albums showed the more commercial direction his music was taking.

Electronic Music and "Rockit" (1976–1988)

Hancock in 1976

In 1978, Hancock recorded a duet album with Chick Corea, another famous jazz pianist. He also released a solo acoustic piano album called The Piano in 1979.

From 1978 to 1982, Hancock made many albums that mixed jazz with disco and pop music. His album Sunlight (1978) featured him singing through a vocoder, which made his voice sound electronic. This led to a hit song in the UK called "I Thought It Was You".

In 1983, Hancock had a massive pop hit with the song "Rockit" from his album Future Shock. This song was groundbreaking because it was one of the first to mix jazz with hip-hop music. It also featured scratching, a DJ technique. The music video for "Rockit" was very creative and became a big hit on MTV. It won five awards at the first MTV Video Music Awards. This success led to Hancock working with bassist and producer Bill Laswell on more electronic music albums like Sound-System (1984) and Perfect Machine (1988).

In 1986, Hancock acted in the film 'Round Midnight. He also wrote the music for the film, and he won an Academy Award for Original Music Score for it. He wrote music for many other films in the 1980s, including A Soldier's Story (1984) and Colors (1988).

Later Career and Collaborations (1990s–Present)

Hancock live in concert

After a break, Hancock reunited with his former bandmates Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Wayne Shorter. They recorded A Tribute to Miles in 1994, honoring Miles Davis. This album won a Grammy Award.

In 1995, Hancock released The New Standard. On this album, he and other famous musicians played jazz versions of pop songs by artists like Nirvana, Stevie Wonder, and the Beatles.

A 1997 album with Wayne Shorter, called 1+1, was very successful. One song from it, "Aung San Suu Kyi", won a Grammy. In 1998, Hancock released Gershwin's World, where he played songs by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. This album featured many guest stars, including Stevie Wonder and Joni Mitchell.

Hancock performing in concert, 2006

In 2001, Hancock released Future2Future, which had more electronic music and featured a turntablist (DJ who scratches records) named Rob Swift. He also recorded a live album called Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall with Michael Brecker and Roy Hargrove, paying tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

In 2005, he released Possibilities, an album of duets with many different artists like Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Christina Aguilera, and Sting.

Hancock playing a Roland AX-7 keytar, at The Roundhouse, Camden, London, 2006

In 2007, Hancock released River: The Joni Letters, an album that honored Joni Mitchell's music. It featured singers like Norah Jones and Tina Turner. This album won the prestigious Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2008. This was a rare achievement for a jazz album.

On January 18, 2009, Hancock performed at the "We Are One" concert. This event celebrated the start of American President Barack Obama's time in office.

Hancock in Warsaw, Poland with his Imagine Project, November 2010

Herbie Hancock at the Barbican Centre in London, July 2023

In June 2010, Hancock released The Imagine Project. In 2011, he was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador to promote understanding between different cultures. In 2013, Hancock received the Kennedy Center Honors Award, which celebrates artists for their lifetime achievements.

Hancock also taught at Harvard University in 2014, giving lectures on "The Ethics of Jazz". He continues to make new music and perform around the world, often collaborating with both jazz and hip-hop artists. In 2022, he performed at the famous Glastonbury Festival.

Herbie Hancock's Personal Life

Herbie Hancock has been married to Gigi Hancock since 1968, and they have a daughter. Herbie has said that Gigi is very caring and helps her friends a lot.

In 1985, Herbie Hancock's sister, Jean, passed away in a plane crash. She was a computer consultant and also wrote song lyrics for him and other artists.

Since 1972, Hancock has practiced Nichiren Buddhism, a type of Buddhism. As part of his spiritual practice, he recites a Buddhist chant every day. He has also written about how Buddhism connects with jazz and life.

Herbie Hancock's Special Car

In 1963, when he was 23, Herbie Hancock bought a new 1963 AC Shelby Cobra car. He still owns this car today, making him the longest owner of a Cobra! His car, serial number CSX2006, was only the sixth Cobra ever made. It's a very rare and valuable car, worth more than $2 million. Hancock plans to give this special car to his grandson one day.

Herbie Hancock's Music Albums

Hancock in Washington, D.C., 1999

Studio albums

Herbie Hancock's Film and TV Appearances

Herbie Hancock's Concert Films

• 2000: DeJohnette, Hancock, Holland and Metheny – Live in Concert
• 2002: Herbie Hancock Trio: Hurricane! with Ron Carter and Billy Cobham
• 2002: The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock (BET on Jazz) with Cyro Baptista, Terri Lynne Carrington, Ira Coleman, Eli Degibri and Eddie Henderson (recorded in 2000)
• 2004: Herbie Hancock – Future2Future Live
• 2005: Herbie Hancock's Headhunters Watermelon Man (Live in Japan)
• 2006: Herbie Hancock – Possibilities with John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Joss Stone, and more

Herbie Hancock's Books

• Herbie Hancock: Possibilities (2014) ISBN: 978-0-670-01471-2
• Reaching Beyond: Improvisations on Jazz, Buddhism, and a Joyful Life (2017) ISBN: 978-1-938-25276-1

Herbie Hancock's Awards and Honors

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry with the 2013 Kennedy Center honorees, including Herbie Hancock, in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 2013

Hancock receiving a Gold Record Award in November 2011

Herbie Hancock's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Academy Awards

• 1986: Best Original Score, for the movie Round Midnight

Grammy Awards

• 1984: Best R&B Instrumental Performance, for Rockit
• 1985: Best R&B Instrumental Performance, for Sound-System
• 1988: Best Instrumental Composition, for Call Sheet Blues
• 1995: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group, for A Tribute to Miles
• 1997: Best Instrumental Composition, for Manhattan (Island of Lights and Love)
• 1999: Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s), for St. Louis Blues
• 1999: Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group, for Gershwin's World
• 2003: Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group, for Directions in Music at Massey Hall
• 2003: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, for My Ship
• 2005: Best Jazz Instrumental Solo, for Speak Like a Child
• 2008: Album of the Year, for River: The Joni Letters
• 2008: Best Contemporary Jazz Album, for River: The Joni Letters
• 2011: Best Improvised Jazz Solo, for A Change Is Gonna Come
• 2011: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, for Imagine

Other awards

• Keyboard Readers' Poll: Best Jazz Pianist (1987, 1988); Keyboardist (1983, 1987)
• MTV Awards (5): Best Concept Video, "Rockit", 1983–'84
• Gold Note Jazz Awards – New York Chapter of the National Black MBA Association, 1985
• French Award Officer of the Order of Arts & Letters, 1985
• BMI Film Music Award, Round Midnight, 1986
• Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music, 1986
• U.S. Radio Award, Best Original Music Scoring – Thom McAnn Shoes, 1986
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Best Score – 'Round Midnight, 1986
• BMI Film Music Award, Colors, 1989
• Miles Davis Award, Montreal International Jazz Festival, 1997
• Soul Train Music Award, Best Jazz Album – The New Standard, 1997
• VH1's 100 Greatest Videos: "Rockit" is 10th Greatest Video, 2001
• NEA Jazz Masters Award, 2004
• Downbeat Readers' Poll Hall of Fame, 2005
• Kennedy Center Honors, 2013
• Benjamin Franklin Medal (Royal Society of Arts), 2018

Memberships

• American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2013
• Foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

See also

In Spanish: Herbie Hancock para niños