Andrés Segovia.

Andrés Segovia, born in Linares, Spain on February 21, 1893, showed early promise as a guitarist and studied at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música de Granada, where he developed the technique that later revolutionized the instrument.

In 1948, Andrés Segovia appeared as himself on The Ed Sullivan Show, bringing classical guitar to a mass audience. His mission to legitimize the guitar as a concert instrument defined his career. His music later appeared in films such as Heavy Metal 1981, Vicky Cristina Barcelona 2008, and Labor Day 2013. At the Accademia Musicale Chigiana di Siena he taught a generation of guitarists, including John Williams. Segovia received major awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal.

Segovia married three times: to Adelaida Portillo, Paquita Burrow, and Emilia Corral Sancho. With Emilia Corral Sancho, he was married from 1962 until his death. The couple had one son, Carlos Andrés Segovia. Segovia died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain on June 2, 1987 at the age of 94.

Andrés Segovia is the musician most responsible for making the guitar an accepted instrument in the concert hall. At the Accademia Musicale Chigiana di Siena he influenced a generation of guitarists, including John Williams. His honors include the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and honorary doctorates from multiple Spanish universities. He was the preeminent classical guitarist of the 20th century.