African Americans on Postage Stamps

Charlie Parker

Jazz Composer and Saxophonist

32-cent Charlie Parker stamp
The Charlie Parker stamp was issued on September 16, 1995.

Born Charles Christopher Parker, Jr. in 1920, Charlie Parker was an innovative composer and jazz saxophonist. Known as “Yardbird” or “Bird,” he was a leader, along with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Kenny Clark, in creating the bebop movement, an original and prominent evolution in jazz that emphasizes listening over dancing.

The Black Experience