The Jazz at Drew Award was presented to recipients from 1995-2008. Originally intended to honor artists who were influential in the jazz musical genre, the award was expanded to include leaders in the community, politics and in medicine. Due to format constraints, just two biographies from each program booklet were selected for this guide.The subjects chosen showcase the diversity of talent recognized at Jazz at Drew.
The image below was originally published in the 2000 Jazz at Drew souvenir program booklet.
2008 Jazz at Drew Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement
Third World
Les McCann
Lena Horne (1917-2010)
Lionel Hampton (1908-2002)
Melba Liston (1926-1999)
Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999)
Toshio Oida (1925-2003)
Art Farmer (1928-1999)
Gerald Wilson (1918-2014)
Abbey Lincoln (1930-2010)
Billy Higgins (1936-2001)
Benny Carter (1907-2003)
Louis Johnson (1955-2015)
Geraldine Burton Branch, M.D., MPH (1908-2016)
Sakaye Shigekawa, M.D. (1913-2013)
Gus Gill, M.D. (1939-2015)
Frank Capp (1931-2017)
William Speight, Jr., M.D. (1926-2018)
Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008)
