Born in South African in 1939, Hugh Masekela first got turned on to the trumpet after seeing the 1950 biopic about Bix Beiderbecke called Young Man with a Horn.
In 1960, at the age of 21, he started feeling the heat from South African authorities because of his anti-apartheid activities, which would lead him to be in exile from the country for over 30 years.
During his 60 plus year career, Masekela befriended Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charles Mingus, performed at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, landed a number one hit with "Grazing In The Grass" (which sold over 4 million copies) and guested on songs like the Byrds "So You Wanna Be A Rock-n-Roll Star."
In the last decade, he had been suffering prostate cancer. That cancer took his life last night at the age of 78.
What are you listening to tonight?
