A Joint Project of the Sam Rayburn House Historic Site and the Fannin County Historical Commission
Celebrating America 250 with Spotlights of Fannin County Citizens Who Participated In or Witnessed Historical Events
Fannin County, Texas -- Charles “Charlie” Henry Christian was born on July 29, 1916, to Willie Mae Booker and Clarence James Christian in the Tanktown area of Bonham, TX. He had two brothers. The family moved to Oklahoma City, OK, in 1918 so that Clarence could find work, as he had recently gone blind. Charlie’s family had musical roots, and Charlie was in a quartet with his father and brothers. He continued studying music through school and by listening to jazz, blues, Western swing, and other bands or musicians that played in Oklahoma City.
During the 1936 Texas Centennial, Charlie played in Dallas, TX. He may have bought his first electric guitar in 1937. Known “for his unique single-note soloing style and masterful improvisation” according to the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA), Charlie toured with a few different groups before Mary Lou Williams heard him in 1939 and convinced John Hammond, a New York music producer, to give Charlie an audition.
Charlie auditioned for and joined the Benny Goodman Sextet and changed the world of music with his artistic talents. The TSHA wrote, “Musicologists and performers have acknowledged his [Charlie’s] creative contribution to modern jazz as an early pioneer of electric guitar on recordings. His picking technique, altered chords, melody lines, and, of course, solos represented a new approach to jazz.”
Some people credit Charlie with contributing to the creation of “bebop” music. Down Beat magazine ranked Charlie as America’s best guitarist from 1939 to 1941. By 1942, Charlie had played with Count Basie and performed at Carnegie Hall. The song, “Solo Flight,” may be his best-known recording.
In 1932, Charlie had one daughter with Margretta Lorraine Christian.
Charlie Christian died on March 2, 1942, in the Seaview Sanitarium in Staten Island, NY, from tuberculosis at age 25.
He has been inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1985, Oklahoma City created the Charlie Christian International Music Festival that continues today. There is a documentary film called Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian (1992) about him.
The Fannin County Museum of History has a permanent exhibit about Charlie.
On July 20, 2012, the City of Bonham dedicated a portion of the road running adjacent to Gates Hill Cemetery as “Charlie Christian Street.”
This information was obtained from the Fannin Co., Texas GenWeb (txfannin.org), the Texas State Historical Association, the North Texas e-News, and other online sources. The Sam Rayburn House State Historic Site will present this and other biographies at their 2026 Cemetery Walking Tour at Gates Hill Cemetery on October 31, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. A guided walking tour begins at 10:15 a.m. For a copy of the 2026 Cemetery Walking Tour guide or for other information, contact the Sam Rayburn House at (903) 583-5558 or email Margo.McCutcheon@thc.texas.gov.
