Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson

Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson (born 1917 in Houston, Texas; died 1988 in Los Angeles, California) was a prominent vocalist and alto saxophonist who seamlessly navigated the boundary between jazz and rhythm and blues. Recognizable by his entirely bald head (destroyed by a lye-based hair straightener) Vinson developed a sophisticated, Charlie Parker-influenced saxophone style paired with a distinctively wheezy, shouting vocal delivery. He emerged in the early 1940s as a featured vocalist in Cootie Williams' orchestra, recording the hit "Cherry Red," which became his signature tune.