Django Reinhardt

Born in Liberchien[?], Belgium, Reinhardt spent most of his youth in a gypsy encampment close to Paris, France, playing the guitar and the violin from an early age, even professionally, at dance halls in Paris.

At the age of 18, Reinhardt was injured in a fire that ravaged the caravan he shared with his first wife. The third and fourth digits on his left hand were burned so badly they were fused together, and although the doctors succeeded in separating the fingers, they were of little use to him in his future guitar playing (Acker Bilk was another musician whose dexterity seemed unimpaired by finger-damage). Determined to keep playing, Reinhard focused on the guitar, and developed an original style of chording that required only his functional fingers.

In 1934, he formed the "Quintet Hot Club de France" with violinist Stephane Grappelli, Reinhardt's brother Joseph[?] and R. Chaput on guitar, and L. Vola on bass. He produced numerous recordings at this time, and played with many American musicians, like Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter[?] and Rex Steward[?].

As World War II was declared, the quintet was on tour in the United Kingdom. Reinhardt returned to Paris at once, leaving his wife behind. Grapelli remained in the UK for the duration of the war, and Reinhardt reformed the quintet in Paris with Hubert Rostaing[?] on clarinet in place of Grapelli's violin.

Reinhardt survived World War II unscathed, unlike many other gypsies who perished in the concentration and death camps of the Nazis, and in 1943 married Sophie Ziegler, with whom he had a son, Babik Reinhardt[?], who went on to become a respected guitarist in his own right.

After the war, Reinhardt rejoined Stephan Grapelli in the UK, and went on to tour the US, opening for Duke Ellington, and playing at Carnegie Hall, as well as making more recordings.

In 1951, he retired to Samois sur Seine[?] in France, near Fontainebleau, and lived there for two years until, on the morning of May 16th, he woke up complaining of being unable to move. Although he claimed to feel better, he collapsed outside of his house from a brain hemorrhage. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital in Fontainebleu.