• Aretha Franklin and Michael Jackson were named music royalty: “The Queen of Soul” and “The King of Pop.”

• Jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker was called “Bird.”

• James Brown was so big in the world of pop music that he had two nicknames: “The Godfather of Soul” and “The Hardest-working Man in Show Business.”

THE LIVES OF COMPOSERS

John Cage is an American composer whose work is ultra-modern and highly criticized. Here are some interesting facts about his life and music:

• One of his most famous compositions is called 4’33. The piece consists in the performer sitting at the piano for 4 minutes and 33 seconds, while doing nothing.

• He liked to use a “prepared piano.” That means objects such as coins, rubber bands, and screws were placed on the piano strings to change the tone of the music.

He liked for members of the audience to participate during concerts. He sometimes asked them to find garbage cans on the streets, empty or full, to use as percussion instruments.