Chet Baker (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and vocalist.

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. WIKIPEDIA Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian David Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His "well-publicized drug habit" also drove his notoriety and fame; Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.