Herbie Hancock (born April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois) is a groundbreaking American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader whose visionary spirit reshaped modern music. A child prodigy who played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age eleven, he later joined Miles Davis’s Second Great Quintet, helping define the sound of 1960s jazz. Hancock fused acoustic jazz with funk, rock, and electronic textures on landmark albums like Head Hunters and Maiden Voyage, influencing generations of musicians. A restless innovator, he embraced synthesizers, hip-hop collaborations, and global sounds while remaining rooted in jazz tradition. Over his long career, Hancock has earned multiple Grammy Awards and global acclaim for his adventurous compositions and lyrical touch at the piano. Accompanying pencil sketch by artist Greg Joens.