Charlie Byrd was born in 1925 in Suffolk, Virginia, and grew up in the borough of Chuckatuck.
21 Facts About Charlie Byrd
2.
Charlie Byrd had three brothers, Oscar, Jack, and Gene "Joe" Charlie Byrd, who was a bass player.
3.
In 1942, Charlie Byrd entered the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and played in the school orchestra.
4.
In 1957, Charlie Byrd met double bassist Keter Betts in a Washington, DC, club called the Vineyard.
5.
Charlie Byrd led his own groups that sometimes featured his brother Joe.
6.
Charlie Byrd was active as a teacher in the late 1950s; he trained guitar students at his home in Washington, DC, each being required to audition before he agreed to be their teacher.
7.
Charlie Byrd was introduced to Brazilian music by Felix Grant, a friend and radio host who had contacts in Brazil in the late 1950s, and who was well-known there by 1960 due to the efforts of Brazilian radio broadcaster Paulo Santos.
8.
Charlie Byrd invited Getz back to his home to listen to some bossa nova recordings by Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim which he had brought back.
9.
Taylor and Charlie Byrd assembled a group of musicians they knew.
10.
On March 13,14,15,16,1963, Charlie Byrd travelled two hours south of Washington, DC to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville to provide music for an original musical, Lament For Guitar and Two Lovers.
11.
In 1963, Charlie Byrd toured Europe with Les McCann and Zoot Sims.
12.
In 1967, Charlie Byrd brought a lawsuit against Stan Getz and MGM, contending that he was unfairly paid for his contributions to the 1962 album Jazz Samba.
13.
The jury agreed with Charlie Byrd and awarded him half the royalties from the album.
14.
In 1973, Charlie Byrd moved to Annapolis, Maryland, and in September of that year he recorded an album with Cal Tjader titled Tambu, the only recording the two would make together.
15.
That same year, Charlie Byrd joined guitarists Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel and formed the Great Guitars group, which included drummer Johnny Rae.
16.
Charlie Byrd collaborated with the Annapolis Brass Quintet in the late 1980s, appearing with them in over 50 concerts across the United States and releasing two albums.
17.
Charlie Byrd played for several years at a jazz club in Silver Spring, Maryland, called The Showboat II which was owned and managed by his manager, Peter Lambros.
18.
Charlie Byrd was home-based at the King of France Tavern nightclub at the Maryland Inn in Annapolis from 1973 until his death in 1999.
19.
Charlie Byrd authored the 1973 publication Charlie Byrd's Melodic Method for Guitar.
20.
Charlie Byrd loved sailboating, and owned a twenty-six-foot boat called "I'm Hip" that he sailed to various parts of the world.
21.
Charlie Byrd died of lung cancer on December 2,1999 at his home in Annapolis, Maryland at the age of 74.