7 Introduction 7

W

hat is influence? Is it the power that one individual
holds to change the world? Is it prestige—the
glimmering reputation earned by those who have achieved
excellence or superiority? Or is it that sense of immortality
bestowed on certain people who, through their lives, their
actions, and their accomplishments, have climbed pedestals
so high and prominent that they are virtually guaranteed a
place in the books of history?
Influence can mean so many things and is therefore
hard to define. But this much is clear: in a book such as
this, where the subject is influential musicians, an exact
definition hardly matters. Such artists may exert them-
selves in all kinds of ways—through their compositions,
lyrics, performances, or even through “extracurricular”
activities such as raising funds for charitable causes and
organizations.
Just by taking the stage—whether in a local church or
on the 50-yard line during halftime at the Super Bowl—
musicians have instant influence. They command the
ability to make people stop what they are doing—to have
them clap, dance, and sing along. If musicians are truly
great—be it composer Igor Stravinsky, classic rocker Eric
Clapton, hip-hop rapper Jay-Z, “King of Rock and Roll”
Elvis Presley, or “King of Juju” King Sunny Ade—their
creations have the ability to transcend time and space,
culture and nationality.
Simply put, great music is more than just music. It
makes us think; it makes us feel. And over twenty, thirty,
even hundreds of years, it continues to make us listen. In
the world of music, that is influence.
Within these pages readers will also discover how the
work of one musician inspired and motivated that of
others, sometimes in groundbreaking ways. In 1791, having
heard the moving oratorios of George Frideric Handel,