Greenwell, Sinclair Jr. (1935-1992) | University of Illinois Archives

Sinclair "Guido Sinclair" Greenwell Jr. (1935-1992) was born in Fort Worth, TX on December 5, 1935. Born to parents Sinclair Greenwell Sr. and Ida Greenwell, in 1944 he moved in Los Angeles, CA. He learned to play alto saxophone at age 12. While in high school, Greenwell met and performed with the pianist Horace Tapscott. Following this, he performed with the Doo-Wop group, the Turks, which once opened for Elvis Presley during a tour of Los Angeles. In 1953, he was hired to perform alongside Billie Holiday. Greenwell was introduced to saxophonist Charlie Parker soon after and through Parker, Greenwell developed an addiction to drugs. After spending a year in jail for drug possession in 1956, Greenwell reconnected with Tapscott, forming the Pan Afrikan People's Arkestra, an afrofuturist jazz ensemble that toured for nearly two decades.

Greenwell moved to Champaign in 1979 in an attempt to escape his recuring drug addiction. His first performance in the area was at Zorba's and this led to regular performances at Nature's Table. Here he performed with his ensembles: the Bebop Cowboys, Variety in Motion Ensemble, and the Happy Blues Band. Greenwell married harpist Shirley Blankenship and the two performed regularly throughout the late 1980s as a duo. Greenwell died on July 7, 1992.