Biographies

Buckshot Hoffner: North Dakota Legislator and WWII Veteran Buckshot Hoffner Biography of Sebastian “Buckshot” Hoffner (1924–2015), a North Dakota Democrat who served 18 years in the state legislature, including leadership roles in both the House and Senate…

Buckwheat Zydeco (Stanley Dural Jr.) — Zydeco accordionist and bandleader Buckwheat Zydeco Stage name of Stanley Dural Jr., a Louisiana-born accordionist and bandleader who helped popularize zydeco beyond its regional roots through touring, recordings, and energetic live…

Bucky Pizzarelli: American Jazz Guitarist and Seven-String Pioneer Bucky Pizzarelli Profile of John 'Bucky' Pizzarelli (1926–2020): career, musical style, notable collaborations, recordings and legacy as a leading swing and studio guitarist.

Bud Abbott American vaudeville and film comedian best known as the straight man of Abbott and Costello; a performer, manager and film actor active from the 1920s through the 1950s.

Bud Adams (Kenneth S. Adams Jr.), American businessman and NFL owner Bud Adams Kenneth 'Bud' Adams Jr. (1923–2013) was an oil and gas entrepreneur and long-time professional football owner best known for founding the Houston Oilers and owning the Tennessee Ti…

Bud Andrews — American radio disc jockey associated with KDAV and Lubbock broadcasting Bud Andrews Bud Andrews (Curcy Hendricks Andrews Jr., 1940–2014) was an American radio disc jockey best known for his work at KDAV in Lubbock, Texas, and for claiming to have discovered humori…

Bud Carson Leon H. "Bud" Carson (1930–2005) was an American football coach, defensive architect of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 1970s 'Steel Curtain' teams and an early proponent of the Cover 2 d…

Bud Clark — Mayor of Portland (1985–1992) Bud Clark John Elwood “Bud” Clark Jr. (1931–2022), an American politician and businessman, served as Portland’s mayor from 1985 to 1992 and became a well-known, populist and colorful civic f…

Bud Collins — American tennis journalist, commentator, and author Bud Collins Arthur 'Bud' Collins Jr. (1929–2016) was an American journalist and television sportscaster best known for his tennis commentary, colorful style, and a comprehensive history of the…

Bud Day — U.S. Air Force officer, Medal of Honor recipient and POW Bud Day George 'Bud' Day (1925–2013), veteran of WWII, Korea and Vietnam, was a highly decorated aviator, Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross recipient and a long-held prisoner of war.

Bud Fowler — Early African-American Professional Baseball Pioneer Bud Fowler John W. 'Bud' Fowler (1858–1913) was the earliest known African-American in organized professional baseball, a versatile player, manager and club organizer whose legacy influenced…

Bud Luckey — Animator, designer, musician and Pixar creative Bud Luckey Profile of Bud Luckey (1934–2018), American animator and designer known for character work at Pixar, creator of the short Boundin', and a veteran of commercial animation and illust…

Bud Moore (Walter 'Bud' Moore Jr.) — NASCAR owner, mechanic and World War II veteran Bud Moore Profile of Walter 'Bud' Moore Jr., Spartanburg-born mechanic and NASCAR team owner, decorated WWII sergeant, leader of Bud Moore Engineering (three Grand National titles, 63 wins)…

Bud Poile: Canadian Ice Hockey Player, Coach, Manager and Executive Bud Poile Overview of Norman “Bud” Poile (1924–2005), his career as a professional ice hockey player and later roles as coach, general manager and league executive, and his legacy in the spo…

Bud Selig (Allan Huber Selig) Bud Selig American baseball executive; longtime Milwaukee Brewers owner; MLB acting commissioner from 1992 and official commissioner 1998–2015; later Commissioner Emeritus. Oversaw expansion…

Bud Spencer: Italian actor, former swimmer and comic action star Bud Spencer Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli, 1929–2016) was an Italian actor and former competitive swimmer best known for his comic-action films with Terence Hill and his signature physical come…

Buddha: meaning, role, and traditions Buddha An overview of the term Buddha, its meaning and uses, the historical Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, key characteristics of Buddhahood, and variations across Buddhist traditions.

Buddy Bolden Charles “Buddy” Bolden, influential African-American cornetist from New Orleans credited with shaping early New Orleans jazz and rhythmic innovations; no recordings survive but his…

Buddy Boudreaux — American Big Band Leader and Saxophonist Buddy Boudreaux John Landry “Buddy” Boudreaux (1917–2015) was a Louisiana-born big band and jazz musician who led regional bands from 1934, backed national stars, and co-wrote Baton Rouge’s offici…

Buddy Bregman: American arranger, composer and television producer Buddy Bregman Arranger and conductor who worked with leading 20th-century singers and later became a television producer in Britain; also wrote stage work for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Buddy Cianci: Longtime Mayor of Providence and Controversial Political Figure Buddy Cianci Biography of Vincent 'Buddy' Cianci (1941–2016), Providence mayor, attorney, radio host and political figure, noted for urban revitalization, legal convictions and a polarizing pub…

Buddy Clark (Samuel Goldberg) — American singer of the Big Band era Buddy Clark Buddy Clark (Samuel Goldberg, 1912–1949) was a popular American singer whose smooth baritone and radio and record work made him a notable voice of the 1930s–40s Big Band era.

Buddy DeFranco — American jazz clarinetist and bebop pioneer Buddy DeFranco Boniface 'Buddy' DeFranco (1923–2014) was an influential American jazz clarinetist who adapted bebop language to the clarinet, recorded widely, and performed with orchestras and sm…

Buddy Ebsen: dancer and character actor best known for Jed Clampett and Barnaby Jones Buddy Ebsen Biography of Buddy Ebsen (1908–2003), American dancer and actor celebrated for The Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones, a long screen career, a famous Wizard of Oz makeup incident,…

Buddy Elias: Swiss Actor and Keeper of Anne Frank’s Legacy Buddy Elias Bernhard “Buddy” Elias (1925–2015) was a Swiss actor and long-time president of the Anne Frank Fonds in Basel, known for his stage and screen work and for safeguarding the memory a…

Buddy Greco American jazz and pop singer-pianist who recorded across genres, sold over a million records, and worked in television and film. Born in Philadelphia in 1926; died in Las Vegas in…

Buddy Guy — influential Chicago blues guitarist and singer Buddy Guy Concise encyclopedia entry on Buddy Guy, the American blues guitarist and singer known for electrified Chicago blues, influential technique, notable recordings, collaborations, and…

Buddy Hackett American comedian and actor Leonard “Buddy” Hackett (1924–2003), known for his warm, improvisational stand-up, television variety appearances and film roles including Scuttle in Th…

Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley) — American rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly Overview of Buddy Holly, his life, music, influence, and legacy as a 1950s singer‑songwriter and leader of The Crickets whose brief career reshaped rock and roll.

Buddy Rich: American Jazz Drummer and Influential Bandleader Buddy Rich Overview of Buddy Rich (1917–1987), his drumming style, career with big bands and his own orchestra, reputation for speed and showmanship, and lasting influence on jazz and popular…

Buddy Roemer (1943–2021) Buddy Roemer American politician and banker; U.S. Representative (1981–1988) and Governor of Louisiana (1988–1992). Known for party switches, reform-minded agenda, and a 2012 presidential campa…

Buddy Roemer's 2012 presidential campaign Buddy Roemer 2012 presidential campaign A concise account of former Louisiana governor Buddy Roemer's brief 2012 bid for the U.S. presidency, his motivations, key events, third‑party effort, and the campaign's conclusion…

Buddy Ryan (American football coach) Buddy Ryan James 'Buddy' Ryan (1931–2016) was an American football coach noted for defensive innovation. He led NFL defenses as a coordinator and served as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagl…

Buddy Wolfe (Les Wolff) — American professional wrestler and tag team specialist Buddy Wolfe Biography of Les “Buddy Wolfe” Wolff (1941–2017), his career in regional wrestling promotions, tag teams with Don Jardine and Larry Heinimi, persona, championships and legacy.

Buenaventura Durruti Spanish anarchist leader and militiaman (1896–1936) who played a prominent role in the early months of the Spanish Civil War and the anarchist movement in Spain.

Buff Bagwell — American professional wrestler (Marcus Alexander Bagwell) Buff Bagwell Profile of Marcus 'Buff' Bagwell, an American professional wrestler best known for his 1990s WCW career, tag-team success, in-ring style, later appearances in WWF and TNA, and his…

Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody) — American showman and frontier figure Buffalo Bill William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846–1917) was an American bison hunter, Army scout and showman who created Buffalo Bill's Wild West and helped shape popular images of the American…

Bugsy (1991 film) Bugsy Bugsy is a 1991 American crime drama directed by Barry Levinson, starring Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. The film portrays mobster Bugsy Siegel and earned multiple Academy Award…

Bugsy Siegel: American organized crime figure and early Las Vegas developer Bugsy Siegel Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel (1906–1947) was an American mobster involved in bootlegging, organized crime and early Las Vegas casino development. His life inspired films and remains par…

Buhe (布赫) — Chinese politician and Inner Mongolia leader Buhe (politician) Buhe (Yun Shuguang; 1926–2017) was a prominent Chinese politician of Mongol background who served as Chairman of Inner Mongolia (1982–1993) and as Vice Chairman of the National Peo…

Bùi Tín — Vietnamese soldier, journalist and dissident Bùi Tín Biography of Bùi Tín (1927–2018), a People's Army of Vietnam colonel who became a prominent journalist and later a dissident in exile, known for his wartime role and testimony on P…

Bujar Nishani: Albanian politician and head of state (2012–2017) Bujar Nishani Biography and significance of Bujar Nishani, Albanian politician who served as President from 2012 to 2017, his background, public roles, and legacy.

Bujor Hălmăgeanu — Romanian footballer and manager (1941–2018) Bujor Hălmăgeanu Romanian defender and coach Bujor Hălmăgeanu played for Steaua București, represented Romania at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, later managed clubs including Dacia Unirea Brăila, and was…

Bukka Raya I — early Vijayanagara ruler and patron of learning Bukka Bukka (Bukka Raya I) was a 14th-century ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire (Sangama dynasty) who consolidated the state, supported Brahmanical learning and Telugu and Sanskrit litera…

Bülent Ecevit: Turkish statesman, poet, journalist, and social democrat Bülent Ecevit Biography and overview of Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (1925–2006): his political career, four terms as prime minister, cultural work, key events such as the 1974 Cyprus operation, and le…

Bulleh Shah — Punjabi Sufi poet, mystic and social critic (1680–1757) Bulleh Shah Bulleh Shah (Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri) was an influential Punjabi Sufi poet whose plainspoken verses mixed mysticism, humanism and social critique. His work shaped Punjabi literatu…

Bullet Prakash: Kannada Film Comedian and Character Actor Bullet Prakash Profile of Bullet Prakash (1976–2020), a prolific Kannada actor and comedian who appeared in over 325 films, took part in Bigg Boss Kannada, and worked in regional cinema including…

Bulma — character from Dragon Ball Bulma Bulma is a central fictional character in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise: a brilliant inventor, heir to Capsule Corporation, and a recurring figure who shapes many plotline…