Charles Burrell (musician)
Charles "Charlie" Burrell (October 4, 1920 – June 17, 2025) was an American classical and jazz bass player. He was known for being the first African-American to be a member of a major American symphony (the Denver Symphony, now known as the Colorado Symphony). For this, he is often known as "the Jackie Robinson of Classical Music".[1][2] He was born in Toledo, Ohio.[3][4]
Charles Burrell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 4, 1920 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 17, 2025 (aged 104) |
| Genres | Jazz, Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass |
| Years active | 1938–2025 |
| Associated acts | San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Denver Symphony Orchestra, Don Ewell, Whiskey Blanket, Nellie Lutcher |
Death
Burrell died on June 17, 2025, at the age of 104.[5]
Discography
Charles Burrell (musician) Media
Charlie Burrell, American symphony's first black musician
Bibliography
- Charlie Burrell, Mitch Handelsman, The Life of Charlie Burrell: Breaking the Color Barrier in Classical Music, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (October 29, 2014)
References
- ↑ "Charlie Burrell, pioneer black musician in Colorado, releases memoir". Archived from the original on 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ↑ "Cover Story".
- ↑ "Professor releases book on life of renowned local artist Charles Burrell - CU Denver Today". 1 December 2014. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ↑ "Charlie Burrell: A Denver Musical Legend". Urban Spectrum. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ↑ DeMare, Kiara (2025-06-17). "Classical bass legend Charlie Burrell dies at 104". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 2025-06-17.
- ↑ "Marie Rhines - Tartans & Sagebrush". Discogs.
- ↑ "Joan Tower / Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Marin Alsop - Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman". Discogs.
Other websites
- Documentary Charlie Burrell, American symphonies’ first black musician Archived 2017-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
- Transcript of tribute to Charles Burell on the floor of the US House of Representatives
- PBS documentary on Jazz in Five Points Archived 2017-01-04 at the Wayback Machine
- Documentary Series Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Integrating a Major U.S. Symphony Archived 2017-01-04 at the Wayback Machine
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