Dan Peek – pioneer of Christian rock music

Dan Peek was an American musician, a pioneer of Christian rock music. He is best known as a member of the folk rock band America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell.
Daniel Milton “Dan” Peek was born on November 1, 1950 in Panama City, Florida. As a child he lived in Japan. In 1963 Peek moved to England.
Peek met his future band mates at school near London. They began as the trio Daze: Peek (guitar / keyboard / backing vocals), Gerry Beckley (lead vocals / guitar / bass) and Dewey Bunnell (guitars / percussion / backing vocals)
In 1971 they released their debut album. The Bunnell composition originally called Desert Song became the band’s most-famous. In the same year the group won a Grammy for best new artist.
The group then compounded platinum status for their album by also taking the 1973 Grammy for Best New Band. Six of the group’s first seven albums achieved either gold or platinum status in the USA. They also had eight Top 40 hits in the early 1970s, according to Billboard.
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Ahmet Ertegun – music producer

Ahmet Ertegun was a Turkish-American businessman, music producer, founder (in 1947 together with Herb Abramson) of record label Atlantic Records, who made a great contribution to the history of modern music industry. At an early stage of his career he wrote songs for Atlantic Records artists, under the pseudonym Nugetre (Ertegun spelled backwards). In 1987, Ahmet Ertegun was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is also inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He was the most important behind-the-scenes figure in twentieth-century recording.
Ahmet Ertegun was born on July 18, 1923 in Istanbul. He was the son of politician Munir Ertegun. During the thirties his family moved to Washington. In his childhood Ahmet fell in love with music. He and his brother Nesuhi were jazz and blues fans.
Ertegun studied philosophy at St. John’s College.
In 1947 he and Herb Abramson formed the Atlantic record label, and the duo set about promoting jazz, gospel and R & B music. Among the more influential artists Ertegun brought to Atlantic during the early years were Ray Charles, Big Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, The Drifters, The Clovers, and The Coasters.
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Alan Freed – American DJ

Alan Freed was an American disc jockey. He was one of the most popular and influential pioneering radio disc jockeys.
It is believed that he invented the term “rock and roll” when in 1951 he called uptempo black rhythm and blues “rock and roll” music. In 1952, Freed was one of the organizers of Moondog Coronation Ball concert in Cleveland. It is now considered the world’s first rock ‘n’ roll concert. In 1986, his name was among the first in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Aldon James Freed was born on December 15, 1921. From childhood he had a strong interest in music. He studied at Ohio State University and later a broadcasting school in Youngstown, Ohio.
While working on the WINS radio (New York), in 1956, Freed began a weekly rock ‘n’ roll program for Radio Luxembourg. He was represented as “the remarkable American disc-jockey whose programs in the States cause excitement to the fever pitch”. Alan was a nationally-known celebrity as one of the first important supporters of the new youth-oriented music.
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Adam Faith – British singer

Adam Faith was a British singer. His songs could be heard in the 60s not only on British radio, but also throughout Europe.
In 1959, in an interview with British music magazine Adam admitted that his dream was to become an actor or a producer, not a singer.
Adam was a financial journalist by profession and often was engaged in analytics.
By the way, he became one of the first singers of the United Kingdom, who regularly performed his own songs.
Terence “Terry” Nelhams-Wright (his real name) was born on June23, 1940 in Acton, West London. Terry was the third of five children. At the age of twelve he did paper round and the first thing he bought was a hefty player.
In 1957, Terry got a job in the film studio. At the same time, his friends invited him to join the band The Worried Men. They played in a cafe in Soho in the evenings. Once he took part in one of the music programs on BBC channel. Jack Good, a TV producer, offered him a contract. At the same time he took the stage name Adam Faith.
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Dmitri Shostakovich – great composer

Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer, pianist, public figure, Doctor of Arts, teacher, professor; People’s Artist of the USSR (1954), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966), winner of the Lenin Prize (1958), five Stalin Prizes (1941, 1942, 1946, 1950, 1952), the USSR State Prize (1968).
One of the greatest composers of the XX century is the author of 15 symphonies, six concerts, three operas, three ballets, numerous works of chamber music, music for film and theater productions.
He was one of the outstanding composers of the Soviet Union and perhaps the last great symphonist of music history.
Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich was born on September 12, 1906 in St. Petersburg.
Overnight Shostakovich rose to fame with a rousing performance of his first symphony in 1926. He was seen as a beacon of hope in Soviet music.
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Johann Sebastian Bach – outstanding composer

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, a representative of the Baroque, the organist -virtuoso, music teacher. During his lifetime, Bach created more than 1,000 musical compositions, including works for choir, orchestra, and individual instruments, especially the organ. He also wrote longer sacred pieces for choir, soloists, and orchestra.
Bach is a famous master of polyphony, the successor of the old traditions. He is considered one of the world’s greatest composers of music.
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in March 1685 in Eisenach. He was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach, organist at St. George’s Church. His eldest brother, who also was an organist, probably gave him his first keyboard lessons. At school in Lune- burg he sang in a boys’ choir. On May 3, 1694, his mother died; his father remarried 6 months later but died 2 months after that. The oldest brother, Johann Christoph, took care of the 10-year-old Johann Sebastian.
Bach worked as a musician and composer in churches and in the service of German noblemen in various cities.
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Robert Schumann – German composer

Robert Schumann was a German composer, educator and influential music critic who made a significant impact on the burgeoning romantic movement. His teacher Friedrich Wieck was sure Schumann would be the best pianist in Europe, but because of the hand injury Robert had to leave the career of pianist and dedicated his life to composing music. Until 1840 Schumann composed music exclusively for the piano. Later many songs, four symphonies, opera and other orchestral, choral and chamber music were composed. His articles on music, he published in the newspaper Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.
Robert Alexander Schumann was born on June 8, 1810 at Zwickau. His father, Friedrich Schumann, was a bookseller and publisher. As a child Robert was interested in German literature and spent hours in his father’s bookshop. Mood and images of romantic literature were later reflected in his music. As a child, he joined the professional literary work, wrote articles for the encyclopedia.
When the boy went to school he studied piano with the local church organist. At the age of 9 Robert began composing his own music. Schumann took part in school concerts.
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