Community Corner
Charlie Burrell, The ‘Jackie Robinson Of Music,’ Celebrates 100th Birthday
The Denver native and legendary bass player was the first African American to play with any major symphony orchestra in the United States.
By Anica Padilla
October 5, 2020
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DENVER (CBS4) — Charlie Burrell, known as the “Jackie Robinson of music,” celebrated his 100th birthday on Sunday.
The Denver native and legendary bass player was hired with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, which is now the Colorado Symphony, in 1949.
Find out what's happening in Denverfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
It wasn’t just groundbreaking for Denver or Colorado — Burrell was the first African American to play with any major symphony orchestra in the United States, paving the way for future musicians of color.
Read more at CBS Denver
