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Charlie Parker (“Bird”) – jazz saxophonist

  Legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker was born in 1920 in Kansas

City, Kansas and then moed to Kansas City, !issouri when he was "

years old# $t the time, Kansas City, !issouri was a liely center %or

$%rican&$merican music, including jazz, blues and gos'el#

  (hile still in high school, Charlie started 'laying alto sa)o'hone with

bands on the local club scene# *e was so enamored o% 'laying the sa)

that at age 1+ he decided to dro' out o% school in 'ursuit o% a %ull&time

musical career# $t 19 years old, Parker decided to moe to ew -ork

City# *e was at .rst %orced to wash dishes in order to get by# *e then

 joined /ay !channs band and in 190 made his .rst recording# 3t was

during his time with !chann that Parker earned his %amous nickname

45ird,4 short %or 4-ardbird#4 $s the story goes, Parker was gien the

nickname %or one o% two 'ossible reasons6 17 *e was %ree as a bird, or

27 he accidentally hit a chicken, otherwise known as a yard bird, while

driing on tour with the band#

  3n 19+ he became the leader o% his own grou' while also

'er%orming with 8izzy illes'ie on the side# $t the end o% that year, the

two musicians launched a si)&week nightclub tour o% *ollywood#

 :ogether they managed to inent an entirely new style o% jazz,

commonly known as bo', or bebo'#

  3n 199, Parker made his ;uro'ean debut at the Paris 3nternational

 /azz and back home in ew -ork, the 5irdland Club was being named in

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his honor# Parker made his last 'ublic 'er%ormance at 5irdland, a week

be%ore his death at age <+# *e battled with heroin addiction and

alcoholism his entire li%e#