DB Hall of Fame

SOLO  FLIGHT

THE  CHARLIE  CHRISTIAN  LEGACY

DB Hall of Fame


PHOTO  GALLERY

CHARLES CHRISTIAN

 

[click on photos below for full-size view]


1 2 3
1917   Bonham, Texas   1-year-old Charles Christian 1920   Oklahoma City   4-year-old Charles Christian Clarence, Willie Mae, Edward, Mom Ella
Charles Christian
in Bonham
Charles & his dog Chubby Charles Christian’s family

 

4 5
1923   OKC   7-yr-old Charles (1st standing row, 3rd boy from the left) 1935   Ritz Ballroom   OKC   19-yr-old Charles on guitar
Charles in the 1st grade
at Douglas School
Charles with Leslie Sheffield
& His Rhythmaires

 

6 7 7x 11
Henry Butler (tbn), James Simpson (tpt), porter, Charles, Edward Lionel Hampton (cropped), Ben Webster, Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie critic, Charles, Hampton & valet Slim, Catlett, Hart, Higginbotham; critic kneeling
Boarding the Super Chief
OKC to L.A. – Aug 14, 1939
CC’s first studio recording session
with Hampton orch
Sep 11, 1939
wider view of previous photo
–adulterated–

Charles at the second
Hampton orch session
Oct 12, 1939

 

8 9 10 86
Charles, Benny Goodman, Nick Fatool Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman CC, Goodman, Fatool, Lionel Hampton, Artie Bernstein CC, BG, Fatool, Hampton, Bernstein
On Stage with the Benny Goodman Sextet
Autumn 1939

 

12 13 14 15
Charles, Benny Goodman, Arnold Covey with Super 400 October 1939 Hamp, Artie, Benny, Nick, Charles, Johnny December 1939

Posing with Gibson ES-150
(Covey with Gibson Super 400)

Posing with Gibson ES-150
October 1939
The Goodman Sextet

Charles at the Waldorf

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel — October-December 1939

 

16 17
Guarnieri, CC, Bernstein, Hampton, Fatool, Goodman Henderson, CC, Fatool, Hampton, Bernstein, Goodman
The Benny Goodman Sextet

“Swingin’ the Dream” rehearsal
November 25-28, 1939

 

18 19 20
Christian & Goodman Charles with Gibson ES-250 W 142nd St & Lenox Ave, NYC

Posing with Gibson ES-250

Posing in early 1940

with Vega guitar & amp
at the Golden Gate Ballroom
Harlem – February 1940

 

21 22

CC w/ ES-250 & Slam Stewart

Charles, Slam Stewart, Teddy Bunn

Gibson Guitar demo in early 1940
for the New York Band Instrument Co

 

23 24 25

Charles & drummer Gene Krupa

Ziggy, Charles, Benny, Benny (Otto Hess Collection) appeared in Mar 40 Metronome

playing Gibson ES-150

First Metronome All Stars recording session – February 7, 1940
Columbia Studios – New York City

 

26 27 28 29

recording "King Porter Stomp"

Haggart, Miller, Christian, Krupa, Goodman, Teagarden, Carter, James

recording "All Star Strut"

listening to playback

Metronome All Star Band

Metronome All Star Nine

playback

First Metronome All Stars recording session – February 7, 1940
Columbia Studios – New York City

 

30 31

June 1940

Jun 15 - Jul 14, 1940

On the
Santa Catalina Island ferry

Sextet at the Catalina Casino

June 15 thru July 14, 1940 while on the West Coast

 

32 33 34

Sam Hughes, CC, Leslie Sheffield, Dick Wilson

September 22, 1940 - Fred Beckett, CC, Wm Smith, Henry Bridges, Effergee Ware

Sittin'-in with Harlan Leonard's band - Henry Bridges, CC, Fred Beckett

Ruby’s Grill, OKC
September 7, 1940

Jammin’ w/ Harlan Leonard’s band
Lincoln Hall, Kansas City

 

35 36 37 38 39

posing with ES-250

"To the sweetest Mother..."

"To the whole family..."

"To Aunt Callie..."

To Herschel Evans

Commercial Photography Studio – Summer 1940 – Kansas City

 

40

Yank Porter, CC, Billy Taylor, Teddy Wilson

October 4, 1940
Columbia recording session

 

41 42 43

Basie, CC, Page, Goodman, Jones, Warren, Clayton

Milton Ebbins (Basie’s manager), Count Basie, singer Lynne Sherman, Benny Goodman, arranger Sonny Burke, Charlie Christian

Photo appeared on Esoteric ESJ-1 (10" LP)

sittin'-in with the
Basie orchestra
backstage at the
Apollo Theatre
Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame
(August 25, 1966 DB issue)

October 24, 1940

 

44 45 46 47

Young, Jones, Clayton, Green, Goodman, Page, Christian, Basie

Prez, Jo, Buck, Freddie, Benny, Walter, Charlie, Bill

Freddie's arm, Buck, Benny, Basie, Charles, top of Lester's head

Buck Clayton solos

October 28, 1940 rehearsal
Columbia Studios – NYC
CC, BG with nucleus of the Basie orchestra

 

48 49 50 51

Lester Young solos

Lester leaps again

John Hammond steps in

Listening to playback: Buck, Prez, CC, Benny, Basie, Hammond

October 28, 1940 rehearsal – Columbia Studios – NYC
CC, BG with nucleus of the Basie orchestra

 

52 53

54

82 80

Georgie, Artie, Benny, Basie, Cootie, Charlie

Auld, Goodman, Bernstein, Williams, Basie, CC

rare EH-275 amp; two made, one of which was given to Charles Georgie Auld, Benny Goodman, Cootie Williams, Charlie Christian Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman - John Hammond seated at left - producer Morty Dalitz standing at right

November 7, 1940 – Columbia recording session

 

81

New York City

Charlie Christian
close-up from photo 80
Nov 7, 1940

 

55 56

Bernie Leighton, CC, Cootie, Georgie, Benny, Artie, Harry Jaeger

Charlie, Cootie, Georgie, Benny

November-December 1940 – Goodman septet gig

 

57

58

59

60

interim on-the-road roommates

Late 1940 - Early 1941

Late 1940 - Early 1941

January 1941
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

 

61

62

big band is amassed to their right

One O'Clock Jump

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

 

63

64

65

playing a Gibson L5 acoustic w/ the Edmond Hall Celeste Quartet

Reeves Sound Studio (for Blue Note Records) - NYC

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

 

66

Benny, Charlie, Georgie, Cootie

February 19, 1941
“America in Swingtime”

 

67

68 69 70

Charlie Christian w/ his new ES-250 (rare L7-style variation)

man w/ hat, Tough, Auld, CC, Williams, engineer, Bernstein, producer Morty Dalitz, Guarnieri, Goodman

Charles' last studio date with the sextet

Tough, Auld, CC, Williams, engineer, Bernstein, Dalitz, Guarnieri, Goodman

BG septet
after the “Waitin’ for Benny” jam

Listening to playback

March 13, 1941 – Columbia Recording Studios

 

71 72

holding his ES-250 (L7 variation) Gibson

at a big band recording session

March 27, 1941 – BG Orchestra – Columbia Studios

 

73 74

Williams, Auld, Goodman, Christian, Dave Tough

with guest Harry James on trumpet

March 31, 1941
“What’s New? – The Old Gold Show”

 

75 76 77

Georgie, Benny, Charlie, Artie

Auld, Goodman, Christian, Bernstein, Williams

Williams, Guarnieri, Christian

Auld, Goodman,
Christian, Bernstein

Georgie, Benny,
Charlie, Artie, Cootie

Cootie, Johnny, Charlie

April 11-28, 1941  —   Paramount Theatre,  NYC

 

78 79

New York City

New York City

Charlie Christian
with Benny Goodman

Charlie Christian
close-up from previous photo

April 1941
Carl Fischer recording studio

 

85

October 1940 - February 1941

clarinetist and Charles

 

FUNERAL
83 84

Walnut Ave at NE Second St

Walnut Ave at NE Second St

March 9, 1942

March 9, 1942

Calvary Baptist Church
Oklahoma City

Calvary Baptist Church
Oklahoma City

 

CERTIFICATES
Certificate of Birth Signature Certificate of Death

 

GUITARS

stock photo

shipped to Charles on April 19, 1940, with EH-150 amp; found by Lynn Wheelright in 2002 - missing pickguard

delivered to Charles in March 1941

Gibson ES-150
identical to guitar that Charles began
with in
August 1939

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

 

MORE PHOTOS
201 202 203 204

1930s – At the 330 Club on

Halloween Night 1944 – Private It on 
    bass

Edward Christian
at piano
Clarence Christian
on bass
Walter Page’s Blue Devils Willie Mae Christian
front row, second from right
205 206 207 208

Charles' mother

 

Charles' mother

 

Margarette's daughter

Billie's mother

Willie Mae Christian
early years

Willie Mae Christian
later years

Billie Jean Christian

Margretta Lorraine Christian

209 210 211 212

Zelia P Beaux

Charles' brother

Zelia Breaux

Clarence “It” Christian

Clarence “It” Christian

Edward Christian

213

214

215

216

“Mom” Ella Georgia
Charles' grandmother

James Simpson
trumpet player

Ralph Hamilton
“Big-Foot Chuck”
bassist / guitarist / mentor
producer

Charlie Christie [sic] is comin.'

 

6th Annual CC Jazz Festival Gibson Guitars

 

 

MORE RECENT PHOTOS
301 302 306

Greenwood Cultural Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

Deep Deuce (Second Street, OKC)

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

303

304

305

Historical Marker at Gravesite

YOUR MUSIC WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN

Flower bouquet bestowed by Billie

Texas State
Historical Marker

Charlie Christian’s
Headstone

Marker
and
Headstone

Gates Hill Cemetery, Bonham, Texas – April 23, 1994

316

317

318

 

MORE RECENT PHOTOS
306 312

in the Bricktown District of OKC

Charlie Christian Ave

Charlie Christian Avenue
Oklahoma City
December 5, 2006

Charlie Christian Street
Bonham, Texas
Jun 11, 2012

 

MORE RECENT PHOTOS

313

319

310

310+

314

Gates Hill Cemetery

Jul 29

Gates Hill Cemetery

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

 

MORE RECENT PHOTOS
321

Charles’ Headstone and Marker with
Charlie Christian Street in background
in Bonham, Texas

 

MORE RECENT PHOTOS
311

Billie Jean Christian’s Headstone

Billie Jean Christian’s Headstone
Trice Hill Cemetery
Oklahoma City

 

MORE RECENT PHOTOS

307

308

309

Dec 2002 photo

Dec 2002 photo

xxx

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

 

 

 


Proclamation issued in Fannin County, Texas,
commemorating Charlie Christian on the 100th anniversary of his birth

 

 

         
   

More photos to come

 

 
         


This page last updated on 05/27/26


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