Cab Calloway

Nicknamed The Hi-De-Ho Man, Cab Calloway was arguably the most flamboyant showman to emerge from the American swing era. An instrumental figure on the Harlem jazz scene during the end of Prohibition, he not only helped to popularize the jive with his million-selling hit "Minnie The Moocher" and energetic scat singing style, but he was also an accomplished band leader who gave a whole crop of future legendary musicians, including a young Dizzy Gillespie, their big break during his stint in one of the greatest ever big bands. Famously immortalized in a series of cartoons and caricatures, Calloway later showcased his many talents in Hollywood and on Broadway, and remained an active entertainer well into his eighties.