Referred to as the ‘Jackie Robinson of Classical Music,’ Burrell was the first Black member of the Denver Symphony in 1949

Charles_Burrell

Charles Burrell with his son © Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

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US double bassist Charles Burrell died on Tuesday 17 June 2025, aged 104. Burrell was one of the first African American musicians to sign a full-time contract with a major US orchestra, joining the Denver Symphony (now Colorado Symphony) as its first Black musician in 1949.

Burrell was born in Toledo, OH on 4 October 1920 and was raised in Detroit, MI. His discovery of the bass came from mentors from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, who taught at his school. 

He played jazz at a club called B.J.’s in Detroit after his schooling, and was drafted into an all-Black naval unit at the Great Lakes Naval base during the Second World War, where he played in the unit’s all-star band with Clark Terry, Al Grey and O.C. Johnson.

Following honourable discharge from service, he moved to Denver after taking classes at Wayne State University in Detroit. He was hired by the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1949. He was dubbed ‘the Jackie Robinson of classical music’, referring to the first Black American to play in Major League Baseball.

He joined the San Francisco Symphony in 1959 where he was a member for five years, and remained in San Francisco until 1965. An earthquake prompted Burrell to move back to Denver, where he rejoined the Denver Symphony Orchestra, and later met his wife Melanie, a cellist.

Burrell remained in the Denver Symphony Orchestra until 1999 at the age of 79. Throughout his career, he performed with renowned musicians including Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. He was an active jazz musician throughout his life, performing in Five Points, a neighbourhood in Denver, dubbed as ‘The Harlem of the West’.

Burrell was inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and was a recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in recognition of his musical achievements, mentorship and for breaking down racial barriers. The Charles Burrell Visual & Performing Arts K-8 Campus in Aurora was named after him, as was The Burrell in Denver, an affordable housing complex in his community.

The family of Burrell said in a statement: ’Charles dedicated his life to his music and inspired the world with his bass. As one of the first African Americans to win an audition with a major symphony orchestra, he opened the doors for musicians of colour everywhere.

‘While we are heartbroken at his loss, we are also grateful for his long and inspiring life.

‘Thank you to all who cared about Charles and thank you for all of your prayers.’

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