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[click on photos below for full-size view] |
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Charles Christian in Bonham |
Charles & his dog Chubby |
Charles Christians family |
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Charles in the 1st grade
at Douglas School |
Charles with Leslie Sheffield
& His Rhythmaires |
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On Stage with the Benny Goodman Sextet
Autumn 1939 |
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| The Benny Goodman Sextet |
Swingin the
Dream rehearsal
November 25-28, 1939 |
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20 |
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Posing with Gibson ES-250 |
Posing in early 1940 |
with Vega guitar &
amp
at the Golden Gate Ballroom
Harlem –
February 1940 |
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22 |
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Gibson Guitar demo in early 1940
for the New York Band Instrument Co |
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25 |
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First Metronome All Stars recording
session February 7, 1940
Columbia Studios New York City |
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Metronome All Star Band |
Metronome All Star Nine |
playback |
First Metronome All Stars recording
session February 7, 1940
Columbia Studios New York City |
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On the
Santa Catalina Island ferry |
Sextet at the Catalina Casino |
| June 15 thru July 14, 1940 while on the West Coast |
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Rubys Grill, OKC
September 7, 1940 |
Jammin’
w/ Harlan Leonards band Lincoln Hall, Kansas City |
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Commercial Photography Studio
– Summer 1940 – Kansas City |
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October 4, 1940
Columbia recording session |
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sittin'-in with the
Basie orchestra |
backstage at the
Apollo Theatre |
Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame
(August 25, 1966 DB issue) |
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October 24, 1940 |
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October 28, 1940 rehearsal
Columbia Studios – NYC
CC, BG with nucleus of the Basie orchestra |
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October 28, 1940 rehearsal – Columbia Studios – NYC
CC, BG with nucleus of the Basie orchestra |
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November 7, 1940 Columbia
recording session |
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Charlie Christian
close-up from photo 80 Nov 7, 1940 |
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| November-December 1940
Goodman septet gig |
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Charlie &
Georgie
winter of 1940-1941 |
with Oklahoma friends
Count Basie, Ernie Fields, Melvin Moore,
Charles, Jimmy Rushing |
with bandleaders
Don Redman
and Count Basie |
Adam Hats advertisement
Artie, Cootie, Davey,
Benny, Bernie, Georgie, Charlie |
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¾ of the All Star rhythm section
Rich, Christian, Basie |
¾ of the All Star rhythm section
Bernstein, Christian, Basie |
January 16, 1941 – Victor Studios, NYC
Metronome All Star Band |
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65 |
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Meade Lux Lewis, Edmond Hall, Israel Crosby, Charles |
Charlie Christian with Gibson L5N
acoustic guitar |
| February 5, 1941
Profoundly Blue recording session at Reeves Sound Studio in New York City |
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February 19, 1941
America in Swingtime |
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BG septet
after the Waitin for Benny jam |
Listening to playback |
March 13, 1941 –
Columbia Recording Studios |
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| March 27, 1941 BG Orchestra
Columbia Studios |
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March 31, 1941
Whats New? The Old Gold Show |
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Auld, Goodman,
Christian, Bernstein |
Georgie, Benny,
Charlie, Artie, Cootie |
Cootie, Johnny, Charlie |
| April 11-28, 1941
Paramount Theatre, NYC |
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Charlie Christian
with Benny Goodman |
Charlie Christian
close-up from previous photo |
April 1941
Carl Fischer recording studio |
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clarinetist and Charles |
|
FUNERAL |
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84 |
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March 9, 1942 |
March 9, 1942 |
Calvary Baptist Church
Oklahoma City |
Calvary Baptist Church
Oklahoma City |
| CERTIFICATES |
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| Certificate of Birth |
Signature |
Certificate of Death |
| GUITARS |
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_small.jpg) |
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Gibson ES-150
identical to guitar that Charles began
with in
August 1939
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Charles’ actual Gibson ES-250
which he played
mid-1940 to early 1941 |
Gibson ES-250
with L7-style fretboard
(the guitar on the right)
used in this ad before it was
delivered to Charles in
March 1941
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| MORE PHOTOS |
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Edward Christian
at piano |
Clarence Christian
on bass |
Walter Page’s Blue Devils |
Willie Mae Christian
front row, second from right |
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Willie Mae Christian
early years |
Willie Mae Christian
later years |
Billie Jean Christian |
Margretta Lorraine Christian |
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Zelia Breaux |
Clarence It Christian |
Clarence It Christian |
Edward Christian |
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216 |
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Mom Ella Georgia
Charles' grandmother |
James Simpson
trumpet player |
Ralph Hamilton
Big-Foot Chuck
bassist / guitarist / mentor
producer |
Charlie Christie [sic] is comin.' |
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MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Billie Jean Christian accepts
Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame Award for her father
June 1989 |
Billie and friend
at the
Charlie Christian Jazz Festival
May 1990 |
Billie and Niece |
| MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Texas State
Historical Marker |
Charlie Christians
Headstone |
Marker
and
Headstone |
Gates Hill Cemetery, Bonham, Texas April 23, 1994
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MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Charlie Christian Avenue
Oklahoma City
December 5, 2006 |
Charlie Christian Street
Bonham, Texas
Jun 11, 2012 |
| MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Gates Hill Cemetery |
Charles’ Headstone
and Historical Marker at Gates Hill Cemetery
two decades later |
Charles’ Headstone
and Historical Marker at Gates Hill Cemetery
two decades later |
Charles’ Texas State Historical Marker at Gates Hill Cemetery
two decades later |
Gates Hill Cemetery |
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MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Charles’
Headstone and Marker with
Charlie Christian Street in background
in Bonham, Texas
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MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Billie Jean Christian’s Headstone
Trice Hill Cemetery
Oklahoma City |
| MORE RECENT PHOTOS |
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Bonham House
Side View from East |
Bonham House Front Entrance
only front steps still remain today |
Bonham House
peeking in side windows |
511 W Johnson Street
Charles’ birthplace in Bonham, Texas
before this Texas Historical Landmark was inadvertently demolished
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Proclamation issued in Fannin County, Texas,
commemorating Charlie Christian on the 100th anniversary of his birth
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This page last updated on
05/27/26
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