Charlie Parker was born to Charles Sr. and Addie Parker on August 29, 1920. He grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Parker had no formal training in music and started playing the saxophone at 11. He didn’t have his own saxophone so he used rented school instruments. He played baritone with the school band until he was 15 when he was able to switch to alto. Eventually he dropped out of school to start his music career and played with local bands to perfect his technique.

In 1937, started playing with pianist Jay McShann. He toured Southwest Chicago and New York with McShann. ln 1939, he moved to New York where he washed dishes in a restaurant. He worked a few professional gigs and played at jam sessions. In 1940, Parker made his first recording with the McShann orchestra.

In 1942, Parker left McShann’s orchestra to play with Earl Hines. Dizzy Gillespie was also in Hines’ band. He played with Earl Hines for 8 months.

In 1945, Parker started leading his own band and playing with Gillespie more often. Parker and Gillespie played a few gigs in Los Angeles in 1946. When the gigs were through Parker decided to stay in LA for a while. In 1947, he had a nervous breakdown and was put in a state hospital. When he was released, he went back to New York. During this period he wrote and performed some of his most famous tunes.

During the 1950’s, Parker’s fame exploded. The admiration and respect he received from many musicians increased. Parker had a heroine addiction that caused him to miss or show up late to gigs. Sometimes he was too high to play. He even sold some of his saxophones for drugs. On March 5, 1955 he played his last gig at Birdland in New York.

Parker died a week later on March 12, 1955 in a suite in the Stanhope Hotel. The suite belonged to his friend, Nica de Koenigswarter. The official cause of death was listed as pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer, but his drug and alcohol abuse was the true cause of his physical decline. The coroner thought Parker was between 50 and 60 years old. He was really 34.