Today in Music History May 16, 1953: Romani guitar wizard and jazz legend, Django Reinhardt, died. Reinhardt was the first major jazz talent to emerge from Europe and is still probably the best. He formed the Paris-based Quintette du Hot Club de France in 1934 with violinist Stephane Grappelli. This group was one of the first jazz groups anywhere to feature guitar as a lead instrument. Reinhardt toured briefly with Duke Ellington in 1946. He died unexpectedly of a stroke at age 43. In 1928, he had an accident that left him only able to use his first two fingers on his left hand. This forced him to invent a new technique that allowed him to become even more proficient than he had been prior to the accident. He never learned to read or write music and played completely by ear.