Charlie Parker

Charles Parker plays his saxophone at a club in New York.

(Courtesy Photo / Public Domain)

Quick Facts

Significance:

Musician whose style lead to development of jazz bebop

Place of Birth:

Kansas City, Kansas

Date of Birth:

August 29, 1920

Place of Death:

New York City, New York

Date of Death:

March 12, 1955

Place of Burial:

Kansas City, Missouri

Cemetery Name:

Lincoln Cemetery

Charlie Parker is best known for his musical talents as a jazz saxophone player where he developed a unique sound that lead to the development of bebop. Commonly called “Bird” or “Yardbird” by his fellow musicians, Charlie Parker real name was Charles Parker Jr.   

He was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1920 and raised on the other side of the river in Kansas City, Missouri. At a young age, he was musically influenced by the jazz music clubs in Kansas City and his father did some work as a pianist, dancer, and signer in the area. The 14-year-old Parker joined the high school band as a saxophone player and admittedly spent more time player the saxophone than studying other subjects, so he dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a saxophonist in 1935. 

He got a chance to play with one of his favorite bands, Count Basie’s Orchestra in 1936 during a jam session but he was kicked off the stage by one of the band members for failing to improvise with the band during the session. For many musicians, they would have quit immediately, but Parker used it as inspiration to practice and was later asked to join a local traveling band.  

Parker, like many jazz musicians, played with numerous bands and eventually travelled to New York in 1939 when he made his breakthrough with the development of a new sound that would become known as bebop. He continued to travel around and work with other jazz greats, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Mills Davis, who helped develop and promote his sound.   

Unfortunately, Charlie Parker’s music career was short-lived due to his addiction to drugs and alcohol when he died in 1955 at the age of 34.   Charlie Parker has been recognized by numerous musician institutes, such as the Grammys, for his influence on jazz and other art forms. There are still music festivals in New York and Kansas City dedicated to Charlie Parker every year.