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Charlie "Bird" Parker Charles Christopher "Bird" Parker, Jr., born in Kansas City, Kansas August 29, 1920. He was interested in music at the age of 7 when he began playing the Baritone Horn. At the age of 15 he was dedicated to playing the Alto Sax. At the age of 17 he had dropped out of school and was a part of the Jay McShann Band. Playing with the Jay Mcshann Band led to Bird meeting Dizzy Gillespie. Two years later Bird moved to New York and started a band with Dizzy. Bird also started to abuse alcohol and drugs. In New York Bird and Dizzy created new kind of mu