Many Would Say,

he is “the greatest guitarist who ever lived”,

quite a claim, for some one who started out as a busker, Django Reinhardt was born on January 10, 1910, in a gypsy caravan and lived his young life on the outskirts of Paris in a run down area called la Zone where the gypsies gathered their caravans, refusing to go to school, he grew up illiterate, he first started performing on street corners, he was self-taught, on October 26, 1928, Django was severely burned, his left hand maimed, in a caravan fire, during many months of recuperation he taught himself to play again using primarily the index and third fingers of his left hand, sadly Django suffered a stroke and died on May 16, 1953, just 43 years old, but his music, especially his association with violinist Stephane Grappelli who was to become his musical partner for some 15 years in Le Quintette du Hot Club de France, lives on, anyone who plays guitar or knows about playing will find the way he uses his two ‘good’ fingers amazing, for a interesting article about Django have a look here.