Charlie and guitar

CHARLIE CHRISTIAN

As with many other jazz musicians, the "real" Charlie Christian has all but disappeared and been replaced with incorrect facts, speculation, embellishments, and outright lies. Even such facts as the place and date of his birth have been frequently misreported over the years. One common statement that has been made was that Charlie was born in 1919 in Dallas but even his death certificate mistakenly records 1917 as his year of birth.

Birthname: Charles Henry Christian

Date of Birth: July 29, 1916

Place of Birth: Bonham, Texas

Charlie Christian "would amuse and amaze us at school with his first guitar -- one that he made from a cigar box -- he would be playing his own riffs. But they were based on sophisticated chords and progressions that Blind Lemon Jefferson never knew." --Ralph Ellison

Introduction/Biography/Images