Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker, an American alto saxophonist and composer, was a pioneer of bebop music. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. Known as 'Bird', Parker was a virtuoso on the saxophone and introduced groundbreaking harmonic ideas into jazz. His innovative use of rapid passing chords, altered chords, and chord substitutions revolutionized the genre.

Parker tragically passed away at the age of 34 in New York City. Although his official cause of death was lobar pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer, he also suffered from cirrhosis and had experienced a heart attack. Remarkably, the coroner who performed his autopsy mistakenly estimated Parker's body to be much older than it actually was.