By Graydon Rust
Alabama 200
May 22, 1914
Jazz musician Herman Blount, better known as Sun Ra, was born in Birmingham. Taught by influential jazz educator John “Fess” Whatley, Blount became a successful transposer and arranger before moving to Chicago in 1946, where he adopted the persona of Sun Ra and formed the Arkestra. With his band, Sun Ra infused theatrical elements of science fiction and Afrocentrism with musical improvisation and experimentation to record more than 100 albums. His influence can be seen and heard in bands such as Pink Floyd, P-Funk, and NRBQ. Sun Ra was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Arkestra continues to perform today.
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