What was the birth name of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis?

The birth name of jazz trumpeter Miles Davis was Miles Dewey Davis III.

He was born on May 26, 1926, in Alton, Illinois, and grew up in East St. Louis. His father, Miles Dewey Davis Jr., was a prosperous dentist, while his mother, Cleota Mae Henry, was a music teacher. The family’s social and financial position gave Davis access to formal musical training and a trumpet during his youth.

Davis moved to New York City in 1944, officially to study at the Juilliard School but also to find Charlie Parker and enter the city’s bebop scene. He soon became one of the most influential bandleaders in jazz, leading important groups associated with cool jazz, modal jazz, jazz fusion, and other developments.

The Roman numeral III distinguishes him from his father. It is part of his documented full birth name, not a later stage nickname.