Herbie Hancock is an influential American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader born in 1940. Beginning his career with Donald Byrd, he gained wider acclaim as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet, helping shape the post-bop jazz style. In the 1970s, he became a pioneer of jazz fusion, blending jazz with funk and electronic music, most notably on his groundbreaking album Head Hunters. Hancock wrote several jazz standards, including Cantaloupe Island, Watermelon Man, Maiden Voyage, and Chameleon. He reached a broad audience with the 1980s hit Rockit, and has received numerous awards, including 14 Grammys, an Academy Award, and the Polar Music Prize. Since 2012, he has taught at UCLA and leads the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2024, he was ranked the greatest keyboard player of all time by The Daily Telegraph.