Oscar Peterson is a pioneer and influence for countless upcoming black artists in the jazz/blues genre. The Montreal native born to West Indies immigrants was referred as the “Maharaja of the Keyboard” by fellow jazz pianist Duke Ellington. Until his death in 2007, Peterson spent his 62-year career slowly becoming a household name internationally for his unique take on jazz piano. Peterson’s list of accolades is extensive, including 8 Grammy’s (with one being a Lifetime Achievement Award), the 1993 Glenn Gould Prize, and a Companion to the Order of Canada in 1984. Peterson began his career in an era that still heavily enforced Jim Crow laws and blatant racist and discriminatory practices towards the black community stemmed across North America with an emphasis on the United States. Peterson did not let bigotry deter him and overcame the various obstacles and even created the song “Hymn to Freedom” the anthem for the civil rights movements in the 1960’s. In 1993, Peterson was offered the Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario role by his friend and fan Jean Chrétien but declined due to a recent stroke. Peterson currently has a school named after him in York Region along with many other awards and honours including a statue erected by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.