On March 12, 1955, Charles Parker, Jr. died aged 35. He was musician (alt and tenor saxophone) and composer, regarded the leading figure in the development of bebop and inventor of revolutionary harmonic ideas including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords and chord substitutions, “Yardbird” or “Bird” gained the status of one of the most influential and important musicians in the history of jazz. Parker became an icon for the hipster subculture and the Beat Generation, personifying the jazz musician as an uncompromising artist and intellectual rather than just an entertainer.