Louis Armstrong was elected into the DownBeat Hall of Fame via the 1952 Readers Poll.
Legends in jazz, blues and beyond can be elected into the DownBeat Hall of Fame by way of the annual Critics Poll (designated by “C”), Readers Poll (“R”) or Veterans Committee (“V”). It all started in 1952 with the Readers. The Critics got into the game in 1961 and the Veterans Committee began voting in 2008. The following are in the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame:
| A–B Muhal Richard Abrams (C 2010) Cannonball Adderley (R 1975) Gene Ammons (V 2012) Louis Armstrong (R 1952) Albert Ayler (C 1983) Mildred Bailey (V 2020) Chet Baker (C 1989) Count Basie (R 1958) Sidney Bechet (C 1968) Bix Beiderbecke (C 1962) Tony Bennett (R 2015) Ed Blackwell (C 1993) Eubie Blake (V 2017) Art Blakey (R 1981) Jimmy Blanton (V 2008) Lester Bowie (C 2000) Michael Brecker (R 2007) Clifford Brown (C 1972) Ray Brown (R 2003) Dave Brubeck (R 1994) C–D Hoagy Carmichael (V 2016) Harry Carney (V 2008) Benny Carter (C 1977) Betty Carter (C 1999) John Carter (C 1991) Ron Carter (R 2012) Paul Chambers (V 2011) Ray Charles (R 2018) Don Cherry (C 2017) Charlie Christian (C 1966) Kenny Clarke (C 1988) Nat “King” Cole (R 1997) Ornette Coleman (R 1969) John Coltrane (R 1965) Chick Corea (R 2010) Bing Crosby (V 2014) Tadd Dameron (V 2009) Miles Davis (R 1962) Paul Desmond (R 1977) Baby Dodds (V 2010) Johnny Dodds (C 1987) Eric Dolphy (R 1964) E–G Billy Eckstine (V 2010) Roy Eldridge (C 1971) Duke Ellington (R 1956) Bill Evans (C 1981) Gil Evans (C 1986) Maynard Ferguson (R 1992) Ella Fitzgerald (R 1979) Erroll Garner (V 2008) George Gershwin (V 2017) Stan Getz (R 1986) Dizzy Gillespie (R 1960) Benny Golson (C 2018) Benny Goodman (R 1957) Dexter Gordon (R 1980) Stéphane Grappelli (R 1983) | H–J Charlie Haden (C 2013) Jim Hall (C 2014) Lionel Hampton (R 1987) Herbie Hancock (R 2005) Coleman Hawkins (C 1961) Roy Haynes (C 2004) Jimmy Heath (C 2020) Julius Hemphill (C 1995) Fletcher Henderson (C 1973) Joe Henderson (R 2001) Jimi Hendrix (R 1970) Woody Herman (R 1976) Andrew Hill (C 2007) Earl Hines (C 1965) Milt Hinton (C 2001) Johnny Hodges (C 1970) Billie Holiday (R 1961) Freddie Hubbard (R 2009) Milt Jackson (R 1999) Ahmad Jamal (R 2011) Keith Jarrett (R 2008) Antonio Carlos Jobim (R 2002) James P. Johnson (C 1992) J.J. Johnson (R 1995) Robert Johnson (V 2013) Elvin Jones (C 1998) Hank Jones (C 2009) Jo Jones (V 2008) Philly Joe Jones (V 2010) Thad Jones (C 1987) K–M Stan Kenton (R 1954) B.B. King (R 2014) Rahsaan Roland Kirk (C 1978) Lee Konitz (C 2015) Gene Krupa (R 1972) Steve Lacy (C 2005) Scott LaFaro (V 2019) John Lewis (C 2002) Abbey Lincoln (C 2011) Jimmie Lunceford (V 2008) Wynton Marsalis (R 2017) Jackie McLean (C 2006) Marian McPartland (V 2018) Carmen McRae (V 2020) Pat Metheny (R 2013) Glenn Miller (R 1953) Charles Mingus (R 1971) Hank Mobley (R 2019) Thelonious Monk (R 1963) Wes Montgomery (R 1968) Lee Morgan (R 1991) Jelly Roll Morton (C 1963) Paul Motian (C 2012) Gerry Mulligan (R 1993) | N–P Fats Navarro (C 1982) Herbie Nichols (V 2017) Joe “King” Oliver (C 1976) Charlie Parker (R 1955) Jaco Pastorius (R 1988) Art Pepper (R 1982) Oscar Peterson (R 1984) Oscar Pettiford (V 2009) Bud Powell (R 1966) Q–S Sun Ra (C 1984) Django Reinhardt (C 1971) Buddy Rich (R 1974) Max Roach (C 1980) Red Rodney (R 1990) Sonny Rollins (R 1973) Pee Wee Russell (C 1969) Artie Shaw (C 1996) Woody Shaw (R 1989) Wayne Shorter (C 2003) Horace Silver (R 1996) Zoot Sims (C 1985) Nina Simone (C 2019) Frank Sinatra (R 1998) Bessie Smith (C 1967) Jimmy Smith (R 2006) Sonny Stitt (V 2012) Billy Strayhorn (R 1967) T-Z Art Tatum (C 1964) Cecil Taylor (C 1975) Jack Teagarden (C 1969) Clark Terry (R 2000) Lennie Tristano (C 1979) McCoy Tyner (R 2004) Sarah Vaughan (R 1985) Joe Venuti (R 1978) Fats Waller (C 1968) Dinah Washington (V 2014) Muddy Waters (V 2015) Chick Webb (V 2010) Ben Webster (C 1974) Randy Weston (C 2016) Joe Williams (V 2019) Mary Lou Williams (C 1990) Tony Williams (C 1997) Teddy Wilson (C 1987) Phil Woods (R 2016) Lester Young (R 1959) Frank Zappa (C 1994) Joe Zawinul (C 2008) |
