1920–1936	Charlie Parker Chronology
	Created by Leif Bo Petersen	Last updated: December 15, 2024.
Date	Event	References/Further Details
1920
August 29	Charlie Parker 852, Freeman Avenue, Kansas City, KS. Charles [Charlie] Parker Jr is born. Mother: Addie Parker (maiden name: Bayley or Boxley). born 1891. She grew up in Pittsburg County, OK, but moved to Kansas City as a young girl. Father: Charles Parker Sr. born 1886. He grew up in the South but moved to Kansas City with the family as a youngster. Charlie Parker has stated that he waw a dancer in circus in his young years, but he seems mostly to have worked as a waiter in the railroads. He married Addie in 1916. Charlie Parker had a half-brother on his father’s side: John “Ikey”, born in Chicago in 1914.	https://www.birdlives.co.uk/childhood: Shows a confirmation note of Charlie Parker’s birth certificate: The mother’s name is listed as Bailey. Charlie Parker interviewed by Marshall Stearns and John Maher: http://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdInterviews.aspx Addie Parker in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 158. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 7–9, 166 note 10.
1925
September 14	Charlie Parker Douglass School, Kansas City, KS. Charlie Parker starts in kindergarten.	https://www.birdlives.co.uk/childhood C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 9.
1927
Summer	Charlie Parker 3527 Wyandotte Avenue, Kansas City, MO. The family moves in here. Charlie Parker attends Penn School, 4239 Penn Street, Westport, Kansas City, MO.	https://www.birdlives.co.uk/childhood C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 9–10.
1930	Charlie Parker 109 West 34^th Street Kansas City, MO. The family is registered here. Father: janitor. Mother; unemployed. Charlie Parker attends Penn School, 4239 Penn Street, Westport, Kansas City, MO.	https://www.birdlives.co.uk/adolesence: 1930 census
1931
	Charlie Parker Charlie Parker’s mother buys him an alto saxophone when Penn School introduces a music program. He is not very interested and lends the instrument to a friend.	M. Levin and J. S. Wilson, “No Bop Roots in Jazz,” Down Beat, September 9, 1949. Here from reprint in C. Woideck (ed.), The Charlie Parker Companion (1998), 73. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 11, 13.
1932
Summer?	Charlie Parker 1516 Olive Street, Kansas City, MO. The parents’ marriage ended in 1932. Addie and Charlie Parker move to 1516 Olive Street. Charlie Parker enters 7^th grade at Sumner School.	https://www.birdlives.co.uk/adolesence C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 11-12.
1933
September	Charlie Parker Parker starts at Lincoln High School, Kansas City, MO. He plays baritone horn in the school band.	Lawrence Keyes in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 129. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 12-13.
1934
	Charlie Parker Charlie Parker’s mother buys him an alto saxophone.	L. Feather, “Yardbird Flies Home,” Metronome, August 1947. Reprinted in W. Woideck, The Charlie Parker Companion (1998), 61–64: Interview with Charlie Parker. Here Parker dates his mother’s alto sax to 1935. Lawrence Keyes in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 129: describes the alto instrument as “raggedly…patched up with rubber bands. Addie Parker in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 162: Buys Charlie another saxophone in 1936, when he starts playing with Simpson. It seems that 1934 is a more likely year than 1935 and 1936, as stated by Parker and his mother respectively.
	Mary Kirk Band c. 1934. Mary Kirk (Andy Kirk’s wife, born Colston) had a small band for a while. Charlie Parker was in this band.	S. Britt, “First Lady of Jazz,” Jazz Journal International 34, 9 (1981), 11–12. Andy Kirk, Twenty Years on Wheel (1989), 80.
	Charlie Parker At Lincoln High School Charlie Parker becomes friends with Lawrence Keyes (p) and Robert Simpson (tb) and plays with Keyes band: Deans of Swing Including: James Ross (tp); Robert Simpson (tb); Franz Bruze, Vernon Walker (as); Fred Culliver (ts); Walter Brown (voc).	Lawrence Keyes in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 129.
April 10	Charlie Parker The Ruffin family moves to at Addie Parker’s home, 1516 Olive Street. The Ruffin family: Mother, four sisters, and a brother. Charlie Parker falls in love with the 16-year-old Rebecca Ellen Ruffin.	Addie Parker: in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 158. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 15.
Winter	The Hottentots Including Robert Simpson (tb) and Oliver Todd (dir). Frankie’s and Johnny’s. Kansas City, MO. Charlie Parker joins the Hottentots but is soon fired because he lacked musical experience.	C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 16.
1935
	Jimmy Keith’s Band James Ross (tp); Jimmy Keith (ts); possibly Shipley Gavan; possibly Robert Wilson; possibly James Ross; Lawrence Keyes (p); Li’l Phil (d). High Hat Club, 22^nd Street and Vine Street, Kansas City, MO. c. 1935. Charlie Parker jams with the Keith Band and gets humiliated.	M. Levin and J. S. Wilson, “No Bop Roots in Jazz,” Down Beat, September 9, 1949. Reprinted in C. Woideck (ed.), The Charlie Parker Companion (1998), 74-75: Parker tells of playing at a jam session and failing in trying a double tempo on Body and Soul. Parker interviewed by M. Stearns and J. Maher, May 1, 1950, New York, NY: http://www.plosin.com/milesahead/BirdInterviews.html Parker says that he was playing Honeysuckle Rose alongside Body and Soul. He states that this was before the car accident.
June 7	Charlie Parker Charlie Parker performs with the Lincoln High School Orchestra at Rebecca Ruffin’s graduation ceremony.	C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 17.
August 4	Ten Chords of Rhythm Wendell Oliver, Ed McDowell (tp); Robert Simpson (tb); Vernon Walker (s); Charlie Parker ? (as), Lawrence Keyes (p, vib, arr); Wilfred Berry (bjo); Charles Forrester (b); George Hinkles (d); Elmer Brown (voc, dir, dancer). The Solid Senders Lincoln Hall. Kansas City, MO. Opening August 4. Regular Sunday evening dances.	Ad in Kansas City Call, August 2, 1935, 8. “Keys Chords of Rhythm Playing at Lincoln Hall,” Kansas City Call, August 9, 1935, 3.
September	Twelve Chords of Rhythm Wendell Oliver, Ed McDowell, William Smith (tp); Robert Simpson (tb); Vernon Walker, Charlie Parker, Milton Chapman (saxes); Lawrence Keyes (p, arr); Wilfred Berry (g); Charles Forrester (b); Ernest Daniels (d); Elmer Brown (dir); Bernhard Jackson (manager). Lincoln Hall. Kansas City, MO. Regular Sunday evening dances.	Ad in Kansas City Call, September 20, 1935, 9. Young Orchestra Rapidly Increasing in Popularity,” Kansas City Call, September 20, 1935, 9: Lists the personnel.
September 20	Twelve Chords of Rhythm Lincoln Hall. Kansas City, MO. Dance.	Ad in Kansas City Call, September 20, 1935, 9.
October 22	Twelve Chords of Rhythm Dance Hall, 2906 Brooklyn Avenue, Kansas City, MO.	Ad in Kansas City Star, October 22, 1935, 16: Grand opening tonight.
October 25	Twelve Chords of Rhythm Lincoln High School, Kansas City, MO. (Senior Camp Fire Girls, prod).	“Lincoln High News,” Kansas City Star, November 1, 1935, 19.
October 31	George E. Lee and His Original Brunswick Orchestra (Twelve Chords of Rhythm) George E. Lee (voc). Paseo Hall, Kansas City, MO. The band members join Local 627 on October 31, 1935, in order to play a gig with George E. Lee at Paseo Hall.	https://charlieparkerskc.org/map/18th-vine/local-627mutual-musicians-foundation: Charlie Parker Local 627 union report can be found here. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 18-19.
November 1	Twelve Chords of Rhythm Charnwood Hall, St. Joseph, MO.	“Twelve Chords of Rhythm Popular with Dance Fans,” Kansas City Star, November 1, 1935, 9: first of a series of dances in November. Lawrence Keyes in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 129. Ernest Daniels in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 75: States that they played with Lawrence Keyes for a year and a half. He seems mostly to focus on the period before the members joined the AFM Local. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 19.
December 25	Twelve Chords of Rhythm Christina Buckner (voc, dance) Paseo Hall, Kansas City, MO.	Ad in Kansas City Star, November 1, 1935, 8. “Lawrence Keys and band at Paseo Hall Christmas,” ,” Kansas City Star, November 1, 1935, 8: It is the band’s third dance at Paseo Hall.
December	Charlie Parker Charlie Parker drops out of school for good.	C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 19.
1936
	Unidentified Band Greenleaf Gardens, Kansas City, MO. Charlie Parker plays here during much of 1936	Gene Ramey in R. Reisner: Bird, The Legend of Charlie Parker (1962), 185: Dates 1935. C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 19.
Spring late	Jam session Reno Club, Kansas City, MO. Charlie Parker and Gene Ramey jam with Basie musicians at a Spook Breakfast. Charlie Parker gets humiliated by Jo Jones, who throws a cymbal after him.	Gene Ramey in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 184-86. F. Büchmann-Møller, You Just Fight for Your Life (1990), 226.: Count Basie with Lester Young played at the Reno Club February–September 1936 C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 21.
July 25	Charlie Parker Kansas City Courthouse, Kansas, MO. Charlie Parker marries Rebecca Ellen Ruffin.	C. Haddix, Bird -The Life and Music of Charlie Parker (2013), 21.
November 26	George Wilkerson Band Clarence Davis (tp); Charlie Parker (as); Carrie Powell (p); Lon Tolbert (g); George Wilkerson (b); Ernie Daniels (d). Musser's Ozark Tavern, Eldon, MO November 26, 1936. On the road to Eldon for the opening gig at Musser’s Ozark Tavern one of the cars crashes. Wilkerson dies and Parker and Daniels are severely hurt.	“Auto Mishap Is Fatal to G. W. Wilkerson,” Kansas City Call, December 4, 1936, 1, 15. Ernest Daniels in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 75-76 Addie Parker in R. Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker (1975), 167.