Died On This Date (March 12, 1955) Charlie Parker / Jazz Legend
themusicsover Charlie “Bird” Parker
August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955
If jazz had a Mount Rushmore, Charlie “Bird” Parker would be front and center. Parker was a highly influential saxophonist and band leader who launched his career in 1937. And when jazz branched off into bebop during the 1940s, Parker rose to the top. Many of Parker’s songs have since become jazz standards, and just his image alone, has become synonymous with “hip.” Unfortunately as his fame and fortune grew, so did his use of drugs, alcohol, and ultimately, heroin. On March 12, 1955, Charlie Parker died of pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer, reportedly brought on by years of substance abuse. And even though he was just 34, the coroner apparently wrote down that he was in his 50s or 60s.
What You Should Own
Lesley Duncan was a moderately successful English folk singer during the late ’60s and ’70s. After working on her own during the early part of her career, Duncan hooked up with Elton John in 1970 to sing a duet of her “Love Song” which appeared on his Tumbleweed Connection album. It remains one of just a handful of songs John recorded that was penned by someone outside of his and Bernie Taupin’s creative circle. Duncan went on to provide backing vocals on such albums as John’s Madman Across The Water, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and the Alan Parsons Project’s Eve. During the ’70s, she lent her vocal talents to recordings by 
