Louis Armstrong
The godfather of jazz and the single greatest musician of the 20th century, period. His influence on the role of a musician as a performer and the use and articulation of melody is immeasurable.
Armstrong was single-handedly responsible for taking the paradigm of a music ensemble from one of collective improvisation and shifting it toward single solo melodic performance, thus bringing the musician as an individual and as a performer into the spotlight.
Known mainly today for his distinctive gravelly singing voice, his true gift was as a trumpet player. To this day no one, not even Miles Davis, has been able to imitate his level of expressiveness on the intstrument. Armstrong was capable of doing more with one strategically placed and articulated note than most performers of his time could do with a thousand. And when he did let loose it was a celebration (bitches).
On top of all this, the sheer exuberance and Jeux de vivre that he seemed to exude at all times, which was his calling card made him one of the most endearing personalities of all time, and was a reflection of his greatness.