It pulled me like a magnet, jazz did, because it was a way that I could express myself.

In 1983 Hancock had a mainstream hit with the Grammy-award winning instrumental single "Rockit" from the album Future Shock. Grinnell also awarded him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1972). [citation needed] Hancock was also bothered by the fact that many people did not understand avant-garde music.

As part of Miles Davis's Second Great Quintet Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound. Hancock's best-known solo works include "Cantaloupe Island" "Watermelon Man" (later performed by dozens of musicians including bandleader Mongo Santamaría) "Maiden Voyage" "Chameleon" and the singles "I Thought It Was You" and "Rockit". Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock (born April 12 1940) is an American pianist keyboardist bandleader and composer.