Jan Hammer

About

Composed the "Miami Vice Theme" and "Crockett's Theme" for "Miami Vice," the classic 1980s television show. He scored 90 episodes of the series and 20 episodes of "Chancer," a hit British show.

Before Fame

He attended the Prague Academy of Musical Arts and was given a scholarship to Boston's Berklee College of Music. His time at the Prague Academy ended prematurely upon the invasion of the Warsaw Pact in 1968.

Trivia

His list of collaborators was a Who's Who of music greats, including Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, Elvin Jones, and Stanley Clarke.

Family Life

He was the son of the renowned Czech singer Vlasta Průchová. His father, although primarily a physician, was also skilled at the bass guitar and Vibraphone. He fathered two children with his wife Ivona.

Associated With

He recorded the keyboards on "She's the Boss," Mick Jagger's album from 1985.