Why was Charlie Parker`s nickname Yardbird?
Charles “Bird” Parker, Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Early in his career Parker was dubbed “Yardbird” (there are many contradictory stories of the name’s origin). It was later shortened to “Bird” and remained Parker’s nickname for the rest of his life and inspiration for the titles of his works, such as “Yardbird Suite” and “Bird Feathers”. **Parker got the nickname “Yardbird” while traveling to a “gig” with the Jay McShann Orchestra. The car he was riding in accidentally ran over a chicken and Parker insisted on taking the dead “yardbird” and fixing it up for dinner at their destination, rather than having it go to waste.
