Canadian jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson was born in Montreal in 1925 and grew up in the mean, lean years just after the Great Depression. His first break came at just 14 years of age when he won a national amateur talent contest organized by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. In September of 1949, Oscar Peterson had his own trio, performed a remarkable debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and his fame grew around the world. He has been recognized with Grammy Awards in 1975, 1979, and 1980.
Oscar Peterson died of kidney failure at his home in Mississauga, Ontario four months after his 82nd birthday.
