Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Born in United States · Nationality American — Jazz / music / personal life / domestic violence
Documented profile covering 8 controversies, including “1989: autobiography sparks controversy over misogynistic and anti-white remarks” and “1970s–1980s: acknowledged violence towards Cicely Tyson and marriage marked by infidelity and conflict”.
Profile No. 2516 · Updated on 12 October 2026
§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology
1989–1991
'Miles: The Autobiography' contains graphic descriptions of women being beaten, drug use and hostile generalisations about white people and white-dominated institutions. The book drew strong criticism for misogyny, violence and racial rhetoric.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
années 1970–1988
Davis acknowledged mistreating Cicely Tyson, who had helped him overcome his cocaine dependency. Their marriage from 1981 to 1988 was marked by infidelity, arguments and violence, which he himself discussed.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
1986
The dispute between Davis and the young Wynton Marsalis symbolised the conflict between fusion and neotraditionalist jazz. In Vancouver, Marsalis came on stage uninvited; Davis interrupted the concert and publicly ordered him to leave.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
1975–1980
Davis virtually stopped performing for approximately five years. In his autobiography, he acknowledged extensive use of cocaine, pills, alcohol and, at times, injected combinations of cocaine and heroin, together with compulsive sexual behaviour.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
fin des années 1950–1960
Frances Taylor described Davis as jealous, possessive and physically violent. He asked her to leave her role in the original production of 'West Side Story' to stay with him; she eventually left the relationship, partly because of the violence.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
années 1960
The mother of his first three children had Davis jailed for failure to provide financial support. Subsequent family testimony also criticised his distance from his children and the exclusion of some sons from his will.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
August 1959
While standing outside the Birdland club in New York between sets, Davis refused an officer's order to move and was struck in the face by another officer. Photographs show him bleeding; Davis later said the incident permanently deepened his bitterness towards racism.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
1950–1954
Davis developed a severe heroin dependency in the early 1950s, disrupting his career and personal life. He eventually stopped before his remarkable return to the jazz scene in the middle of the decade.
Last verified: 15 September 2026
Documented biographical or institutional milestones (elections, appointments, foundings, acquisitions…). These are not controversies and are not counted as such.
Davis cultivated a distant attitude towards audiences: he sometimes played with his back to the crowd, did not announce pieces, missed concerts or left the stage abruptly. Such behaviour contributed to his lasting reputation as a brilliant but difficult artist.
No documented link with another published profile for now.
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