Buddy Bolden

Buddy Bolden, born as Charles Joseph Bolden on September 6, 1877 in New Orleans to Westmore Bolden and Alice Harrison, Bolden’s life was in no way a bed of roses. He was just 6 years old when his father passed away due to summer Yellow Fever epidemic.

His mother had to take up odd jobs to support the family. When Buddy was 10 years old, his family shifted to 385 First Street. Although no concrete data is available.

He was just 6 years old when his father passed away due to summer Yellow Fever epidemic. His mother had to take up odd jobs to support the family. When Buddy was 10 years old, his family shifted to 385 First Street. Although no concrete data is available.

Although no concrete data is available on his early life, it could be that Buddy Bolden might have attended the Fisk School for Boys, an institution renowned for its rigorous discipline and outstanding music. Bolden was one of the firsts to improvise his own music style, which later came to be called as “Jazz” and was the first musician to be monikered as “King” of cornet in New Orleans. He was a fine horn player who was esteemed highly by the contemporary black musicians of that time. Unlike his cronies, Bolden entered music at a later juncture, taking up.

Bolden was one of the firsts to improvise his own music style, which later came to be called as “Jazz” and was the first musician to be monikered as “King” of cornet in New Orleans. He was a fine horn player who was esteemed highly by the contemporary black musicians of that time. Unlike his cronies, Bolden entered music at a later juncture, taking up.

Unlike his cronies, Bolden entered music at a later juncture, taking up cornet. Much is not known about the life of Buddy Bolden. None of his recordings exists anymore, and a good deal of information about his life and achievements have been sourced out from the anecdotal references.

As with many iconic figures in American history, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction, especially in the relatively new field of jazz history. One of the popular Buddy Bolden myths was that he worked as a barber in addition to being a musician.

He never did work as a barber or own a shop but he did hang out at a friend’s barbershop because it was a meeting place where musicians networked. Just as barbershops in many African American neighborhoods.

As with many iconic figures in American history, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction, especially in the relatively new field of jazz history. One of the popular Buddy Bolden myths was that he worked as a barber in addition to being a musician.

He never did work as a barber or own a shop but he did hang out at a friend’s barbershop because it was a meeting place where musicians networked. Just as barbershops in many African American neighborhoods.

He never did work as a barber or own a shop but he did hang out at a friend’s barbershop because it was a meeting place where musicians networked. Just as barbershops in many African American neighborhoods funtion today, the shops in Bolden’s neighborhood served as a social hub of sorts.

There is no doubt however as to the manner in which King Bolden thrilled his crowds, always entertaining them with his exciting new sound, full of the blues. Sadly, there was never a recording made of the first king of jazz and we will never know exactly how Bolden sounded.

We can only imagine what it must have felt like on a hot and sweaty night at places like the Union Sons Hall on Perdido Street. As Bolden would stomp out a song’s tempo, the dancer’s seemed to suddenly come to life. Before long the whole room would be swaying along to Bolden’s hypnotic beat.

One of Bolden’s musicians improvised the lyrics “Funky Butt, Funky Butt, take it away, open up the windows and let the bad air out”, apparently referencing the cramp confines in which the sweat and whiskey soaked dancers grooved to. The song which became known as Buddy Bolden’s

There is no doubt however as to the manner in which King Bolden thrilled his crowds, always entertaining them with his exciting new sound, full of the blues. Sadly, there was never a recording made of the first king of jazz and we will never know exactly how Bolden sounded.

We can only imagine what it must have felt like on a hot and sweaty night at places like the Union Sons Hall on Perdido Street. As Bolden would stomp out a song’s tempo, the dancer’s seemed to suddenly come to life.

Before long the whole room would be swaying along to Bolden’s hypnotic beat. One of Bolden’s musicians improvised the lyrics “Funky Butt, Funky Butt, take it away, open up the windows and let the bad air out”, apparently referencing the cramp confines in which the sweat and whiskey soaked dancers grooved to.

The song which became known as Buddy Bolden’s Blues, served as a kind of theme song for King Bolden.By 1906, he

By 1906, he was weigh down with responsibilities and growing competition and struggled hard to keep his music fresh, new, alive and different from his competitor bands.

As the stress mounted, the hopelessness and depression also increased and he resigned himself completely to alcohol. He started suffering from bouts of severe headache and developed an erratic fear of his cornet.

On 23 March, Buddy Bolden became so brainsick that the doctors were forced to confine him to bed. He also accused his mother-in-law of trying to poison him and hit her on the head.

In 1907, he did his last public performance with the Eagle Band at the New Orleans Labor Day parade. In the middle of that parade, he started screaming at the ladies around him and frothed at the mouth. His mental condition started worsening and he became aggressive.

He was sent to the mental asylum. Although he recuperated and came back home, he went back to his old drinking habits and over the time, his condition deteriorated. He started hallucinating and became extremely violent.