10 Popular Musicians You Didn't Know Were From Kansas City

8. Charlie Parker

Eminem Kansas
Michael Ochs Archives

Charlie Parker Jr. -- "Charlie Parker" for short -- has also been known by the nicknames Yardbird and Bird. Parker was a highly-influential jazz saxophonist and widely credited for helping develop the bebop style of jazz. He is a posthumous Grammy Award winner beyond receiving major honors from the United States' Library Of Congress and Postal Service. He is arguably the only artist to have been paid tribute to in publicly-seen works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, poet Jack Kerouac and Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts.

Parker was both born in -- at 852 Freeman Avenue -- and raised in Kansas City. He attended Lincoln High School, as did his childhood sweetheart and future wife Rebecca Ruffin. He began playing saxophone while living in Kansas City. In 1999, a memorial was dedicated to Parker at 17th Terrace and The Paseo -- near the American Jazz Museum -- while there has been a 10-day Annual Charlie Parker Celebration held in Kansas City regularly since 2014.

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Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. In the years following, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Format Magazine, Businessweek, The Improper, Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Darren is also the host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" podcast, as co-produced with PureGrainAudio. He is also the author of two published books, including 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press).