Many thanks to all who shared their memories of
Mr. Byrd with HometownAnnapolis.com:

I was lucky enough to meet and see Charlie Byrd perform at the King of France Tavern about 23 years ago. He was by far the nicest and most sincere person I've ever met. He gave me an autographed album that I have treasured to this day. I am sorry about the passing of Charlie Byrd and it is truly the end of an era.

John McNulty
Pearland, Texas


I have be a great fan of Charlie for 41 years. I first saw Charlie at the Showboat Lounge in Washington in 1958, I was just old enough to drink beer in DC and get into night clubs. One visit was all I needed to be hooked.

I became a regular at the Showboat. When there were long lines waiting to get in, I was always taken in immediately and seated near the stage. I love Charlie Byrd and his music. The original trio I saw was Charlie, Keter Betts, bass, and Bertell Knox on drums. What a swinging group they were. Pete Lambros the owner of the Showboat, really knew how to run a club. There was always silence and respect for the talent, and what talent we had in Charlie Byrd.

One of my favorite sets would be when after a break, Charlie would come to the stage solo and begin to play some classical music. The music was magic and after a few minutes, Keter would quietly arrive on the stage and begin to play his bass with Charlie and then a few moments later Bertell would show up and then they would swing. Oh man, did they ever swing! I have seen Charlie play with Billy Reichenbach on drums, Buddy Deppenschmidt, and Chuck Redd. When Joe Byrd, Charlie's brother, began to play with Charlie, I watched him develop into a damn good bass player - who wouldn't with the influence of the great Charlie Byrd to play with?

When I picked up The Capital Thursday evening and read that Charlie had died, it shook me to my core. To never again sit quietly and watch the master at work saddened me, but I know I'll never forget him and will always listen to his music until the day I draw my last breath.

Thank you Charlie, it was a great gig. I'm glad you were always hip, you made us all a little more hip.

Ralph King
Annapolis



I recall seeing Charlie at Severn School's library of all places (I was in sixth grade) - It truly mesmerized me, and really sparked my interest in music. I remember digging out some old Segovia records following that show. Later, I would occasionally pop into the King of France Tavern to see him play or flip on the Great Chefs series to hear him play. He was a huge talent and a great member of the community - he will be missed!

Matthew W. Baker



My memory goes back to the sixties when as a young woman in love with the Bossa Nova sound, I would flock to wherever Charlie was playing, mostly the Byrds Nest in Silver Spring.

In 1966, a man named Paul Pearson came to Annapolis to help develop the city's first condominium called the Tecumseh. I went to work for him at that time as his admin. assistant and a couple of years later as Paul became involved with the Maryland Inn, we moved our office from the Tecumseh to the Inn.

It was on a warm summer evening that Charlie came to perform in concert at the city dock and a group of my friends were going to see him. I asked Paul if would like to come and see Charlie Byrd perform. He sincerely asked, what is a charliebird? (although Paul liked jazz, he was so involved with his work, he never kept up with the times).

He agreed to come and was so very excited over the sounds he heard. On our way back up Main Street after the performance, Paul said Luci, how would you like to have Charlie Byrd play right here in Annapolis so you could hear him anytime you wished? I, of course, replied, wouldn't that be heavenly?. To which Paul replied, tomorrow I want you to get in touch with his manager and arrange a time for him to come here to the Inn, and we'll talk. I said, sure, Paul. And I put it out of my mind.

Paul went out of town the next morning and when he returned he asked me if I had succeeded in reaching Charlie's manager. Realizing he was serious, I thought he was off the wall. But for anyone who knows Paul Pearson, he was serious and never looked at anything as being impossible to reach. I told him I had no clue as to go about reaching Charlie's manager and Paul told me if I wanted it badly enough, he was sure I could figure it out.

And so to make a long story short, I did find Pete Lambrose, Charlie's manager, and he did come to Annapolis for a meeting. Before Mr. Lambrose came for the meeting, I suggested to Paul that we had no place for Charlie to play, even if he agreed to it. Paul, having an answer for everything, told me to call my architect nephew and let him find a place for Charlie to play.

I did call him and he came and soon started digging out truckloads of dirt and found stone and brick and the King of France Tavern was created. Once the Tavern was complete, Charlie came to his new nest and never flew away too far that he couldn't return. It was an exciting, happy time for all of us and Annapolis was once again richer because of Paul's visions.



Charlie Byrd was the reason I settled in Annapolis:

In May of 1972, I was driving a circuitous route from my parents home in Florida to Berkeley, California, trying to figure out where to go, what to do, after several years overseas.

I stopped in Annapolis to visit my aunt and uncle, retired U.S. Navy, who lived on Market Street near Duke of Gloucester St. The son of an old family friend came by to take me out that evening, and suggested we go up the road to the King of France Tavern to what I recall was the first night (or one of the very first nights) of Charlie's Jazz Club there, and Charlie's group was performing.

The King of France was quite empty and we were able to get a table right next to Charlie. I was so taken with his music and so impressed that the Jazz Club was going to be a part of the scene here. I realized that there was a lot more to Annapolis than just the USNA memories I had from living here as a child. So, I moved to Annapolis in 1993, as soon as I had finished graduate school, and purchased a King of France Jazz Club pass as long as I lived downtown.

My other memories of Charlie relate to his collaborations during the 1980s and early 1990s with the Annapolis Brass Quintet, both in concert and in recordings. Byrd and Brass is one of my favorite recordings, and I remember with such pleasure the receptions after the Annapolis Brass Quintet concerts when we would have an opportunity to talk with Charlie, Chuck and Joe.

Rosamond H. Rice
Annapolis, MD



Charlie was a very good cook & was also very fond of seafood. I had the pleasure of being invited once over to his place for a fish dinner....He presented us with a great big Bluefish
5 lbs. smothered in a spicy wonderful vegatable mix....great fish!

He then proceeded to tell us that in his travels he always persued unusual seafood. Once, in the Amazon....he said he went up the river till he found the most unusual fish ...and then would eat it. He said he traveled far...finally found it... it wasn't very pretty but very tasty....

...and I only judged the Crab Soup contest...!



I had the pleasure of working at the Maryland Inn back in the days when the King of France Tavern was hopping with the nightly sounds of great jazz. I learned to appreciate great music listening to The Charlie Byrd Trio effortlessly move from jazz to boss a nova to classical during sets. When the Trio was on the schedule, our staff knew it would be an easy evening since Charlie, Joe and Chuck never brought star attitudes with them. I'll always remember Charlie Byrd as a sweet, gentle, classy and tremendously talented man.

Lisa Callahan Golden


Don't miss these great "Meet the Locals" profiles:

or our comprehensive history pages: