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Date of birth
kansas city, ks -
Little charlie
Charlie was an only child who moved to Kansas city, Missouri with his his parents at the age of 7.At the time the city was a lively place for African american music, including jazz, blues and gospel. -
Full-time saxophonist
Charlie parker decided to drop out of school to pursuit in a full time career of playing the alto saxophone -
heroin addiction
throughout his adult life parker's battles with drugs, alcoholism and mental illness caused turbulence in his career and personal relationships. -
The big apple
Parker decided to stick around in new york for awhile.He remained there for almost a year working as a professional musician and jamming for pleasure on the side -
new york charlie
charlie went back to new york and rejoined jay mcshann's band. He ended up making his first recording -
charlie
In 1942, burgeoning jazz musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk saw Parker perform with McShann's band in Harlem and were impressed by his unique playing style. -
band leader
The year 1945 proved to be a landmark one for Parker. At this stage in his career, he is believed to have come into his maturity as a musician. For the first time, he became the leader of his own group while also performing with Dizzy Gillespie on the side. At the end of that year, the two musicians launched a six-week nightclub tour of Hollywood. -
success...?
after a period of hospitalization he returned to new york in january 1947 and formed a quintet there. with his group, parker performed some of his best-known and best-loved songs, including his own compositions "cool blues" -
death
In 1955. Parker was visiting a friend baroness pannonica de koenigswarter when he suffered an ulcer attack and refused to go to the hospital. On march 12, 1955, Charlie parker died in baroness ' New York city apartment of labor pneumonia and the devastating effects of long term substance abuse.