Charlie Parker's talented developed from the day he decided to play the Sax.. People have said all sorts of things about Bird personally, however he was brilliant musician. He was a heroin addict, a drunk, liar, cheat, thief, womanizer, but everybody still loved him because of his talent and charm.

His style made him unique. Unfortunately, he was a troubled person. He had nervous breakdowns, always on drugs and alcohol. While in Los Angeles he was once even committed at Camarillo, an asylum.

Bird was the only musician that could pawn his instrument, and then ten minutes before a performance, everybody in town is trying to find him a horn to play. Waking up the pawn shop owner to get his instrument out. There were times he kept his saxophone in a brown paper bag. He would pawn his saxaphone for drugs or anything else for that matter.

As a kid, I'd hear people playing Jazz and someone would say, "Well, he ain't no Bird. Can't play like Charlie Parker, he may
by Tallulah Dancier