Herbie Hancock was born on April 12, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois. Though he did not grow up in a very musical household, he started studying European classical music by the age of seven. He attended Grinnell College in the late 1950s, where electronic engineering sparked his interest. Now is recognized by many for redefining the role of jazz with electronic instruments.
The development of electronic instruments such as the synthesizer made the style of jazz fusion in the 1960s possible. Jazz fusion is where jazz influence combines with funk, R&B, and rock. Herbie Hancock is one of the pioneers of jazz fusion. No one can deny that his album “Head Hunters” is groundbreaking. It truly captures all the elements of jazz fusion by incorporating African, R&B, funk, and jazz music in the record. One of the songs that was featured in the album was a modified jazz fusion version of his song “Watermelon man” that gained much attraction. The will forever have an everlasting impact on the evolution of jazz.