Charles Henry Christian
Bonham, Fannin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(July 29, 1916 - March 2, 1942) As a child Bonham native Charles (Charlie) Christian was exposed to the guitar artistry and soprano solos of his parents Clarence and Willie Mae Christian. Though taught in the guitar chord technique, he developed a unique single-string style that made his reputation and earned him a place in music great Benny Goodman's band in 1939. A jazz guitar prodigy, he played with Goodman, Count Basie, and at Carnegie Hall before dying of tuberculosis at the age of 25. Recorded - 1994
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Born in Bonham in 1916 to musical parents, Charlie Christian developed a distinctive single-string guitar style that helped pioneer the electric guitar as a lead instrument. He joined Benny Goodman's band in 1939 and played with jazz greats and at Carnegie Hall before tuberculosis took his life at just twenty-five.
Why it matters
Christian's brief, brilliant career reinvented the guitar's role in jazz and shaped the sound of modern American music.
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Related people
- · Charlie Christian
- · Benny Goodman
- · Count Basie
Themes & tags
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