Dizi Gilespi — разлика између измена

Kao najmlađi od devetoro dece Džejmsa i Loti Gilespi, Dizi je rođen u [[Шеро (Јужна Каролина)|Čerou]] (''Cheraw'') u Južnoj Karolini. Otac mu je bio vođa lokalnog benda,<ref name="FinkelmanWintz2009">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6gbQHxb_P0QC&pg=RA1-PA303| title = Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century Five-volume Set| last=Finkelman| first = Paul| last2=Wintz| first2 = Cary D.| publisher = Oxford University Press, US|year=2009|isbn=978-0-19-516779-5| accessdate=09. 07. 2018|pages=1}}</ref> tako da su deci bili dostupni razni instrumenti. Gilespi je počeo da svira klavir sa četiri godine.<ref>{{Cite news| url = http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dizzy-gillespie-is-born| title = Dizzy Gillespie is born - Oct 21, 1917| work = HISTORY.com| accessdate = 13. 03. 2017| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170624094617/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dizzy-gillespie-is-born| archive-date = 24. 06. 2017| dead-url -status= yesdead}}</ref> Otac mu je umro kad je imao samo deset godina. Sam je učio da svira trombon i trubu sa dvanaest godina. Od dana kad je čuo svog idola [[Roja Eldridž]]a na radiju, sanjao je da postane džez muzičar.<ref name="Moody">{{cite news|title=Dizzy's Legacy: James Moody Carries on the Tradition of His Mentor| last=Reich| first = Howard|year=1993| work = Chicago Tribune}}</ref>

Dobio je muzičku stipendiju za Lorinburg institut u Severnoj Karolini, koji je pohađao dve godine pre nego što se sa porodicom preselio u Filadelfiju.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/dizzygillespie| title = Priestly, Brian. "The Definitive Dizzy Gillespie"| publisher = Vervemusicgroup.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218162357/http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/dizzygillespie|archive-date=18. 02. 2011|dead-url-status=yesdead| accessdate=20. 10. 2010}}</ref>