Charlie Parker, also known as Bird or Yardbird, was born Charles Christopher Parker, Jr. on August 29, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas, and passed away on March 12, 1955, in New York City. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz saxophonists and a pioneering figure in the development of the bebop style of jazz. Parker grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, a hub for jazz music, and began playing the alto saxophone at the age of 13. He left school at 14 to perform with youth bands and was married by the age of 16.

Parker's early influences included tenor saxophonist Lester Young and alto saxophonist Buster Smith. His breakthrough came during a jam session in New York City, where he discovered a new approach to improvisation by using higher intervals of a chord as a melody line, which became a hallmark of bebop. He recorded his first solos with Jay McShann's band and developed a friendship with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he explored avant-garde music in Harlem jam sessions. Together, they formed the first working bebop group in 1944.

Parker's career was marked by both innovation and personal struggles. Despite his musical success, he battled heroin and alcohol addiction, leading to a collapse in 1946 and confinement in a mental hospital. After his release, he formed a quintet with notable musicians like Miles Davis and Max Roach. Parker's recordings for the Savoy and Dial labels between 1945 and 1948, including classics like "Koko," "Relaxin' at Camarillo," and "Ornithology," are considered some of his greatest work.

Parker's style was characterized by a hard, expressive alto tone, innovative use of eighth notes, and asymmetrical phrasing. His influence extended to a generation of young saxophonists and beyond. A Broadway nightclub, Birdland, was named in his honor, cementing his legacy in the jazz world. Despite his untimely death at the age of 34, Charlie Parker's contributions to jazz continue to resonate and inspire musicians today.