Fairfax County (VA) Public Library http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/ en-us The last ten to fifteen years of his life, Beethoven did his most complex and unconventional work; for much of this period he was totally deaf and composed primarily for his own enjoyment. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/beethoven.htm He was one of the most renowned composers of the Romantic Period. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/fredericchopin.htm Dylan has been honored widely for his musical genius. He has also received Grammy and Academy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/bobdylan.htm Guy's numerous awards include a Grammy for Best Blues Album of the Year, a 2003 National Medal of Art Award, and 23 W.C. Handy Awards, which is the most that any one blues artist has received. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/buddyguy.htm This most famous Delta Blues musician is considered to have been a huge influence on rock-and-roll. His vocal phrasing, original songs, and guitar style influenced a wide range of musicians http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/robertjohnson.htm His contributions to the blues won him the 2004 Polar Music Prize, Grammy Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors, and others too numerous to list. He holds honorary doctorates from four universities including Yale University. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/bbking.htm Elvis was in a recording session for Sun Records when he began improvising on Arthur Crudup’s song “That’s All Right, Mama.” That moment is considered “the birth of rock and roll.” http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/elvispresley.htm He invented the symphonic poem, a single-movement orchestral work based on a literary work or character sketch. He is also the inventor of impressionism and atonal music. Liszt was the first to perform entirely from memory, which has become today’s standard. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/franzliszt.htm Coltrane was a hugely influential jazz musician, bandleader and composer. He has been credited with reshaping modern jazz. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/music/johncoltrane.htm Malcolm X was an intelligent, articulate and charismatic spokesman for the Nation of Islam. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/civilrights/malcolmx.htm The American Abstract Expressionist sculptor often created his sculptures in series. Some of the most famous series were his Cubi and Zig series. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/artists/davidsmith.htm He produced large scale abstract bronze and marble sculptures. His signature form is a pierced reclining figure. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/information/people/artists/henrymoore.htm