Miles Davis, best known for the creative and innovative sounds that he produced on the trumpet, was named as an inductee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame located in Cleveland on Monday, Nov. 28.
Artists are eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame 25 years after the release of their first record. A voting committee of rock experts picks the nominees. Five to seven new members are inducted annually based on their influence and musical legacy.
Davis has been called a musical genius and is regarded as one of the most important musicians in jazz history. Davis provided the world with soft and smooth songs such as "Nardis," "Milestones" and "So What." He had a history of bringing in the best, up-and-coming musicians, including John Coltrane, to play in his group.
In the 1970s, Davis got funkier with his music, experimenting with electric instruments. It was in his latter career that he produced edgier songs such as "Listen to Live-Evil and Bitches Brew."
He won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 1990 (overall he won seven Grammys until 1993). He died in 1991.
Miles Davis is the first jazz musician to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Other inductees for this year including 1970s new wave group Blondie, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and the punk band Sex Pistols, and country rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, who founded A&M records in 1962, will receive a lifetime achievement award in the non-performer category.
The 21st annual awards ceremony will be held on March 13, 2006 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.