Photo: Tom Marcello Webster, New York, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Charles Mingus was born on April 22, 1922 in Nogales, Arizona, United States and was credited as a pianist, composer and bandleader. Death is recorded on January 5, 1979, at the age of 56. Education on record includes Jordan High School. Listed accolades include Guggenheim Fellowship (1971), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1996, 1997) and Grammy Hall of Fame (1994, 1998, 2013).
My Take
Charles Mingus stands, for me, in a league entirely his own. Bassist, composer, bandleader and pianist, born in Nogales, Arizona, he belongs beside Ellington and Parker not as a follower but as a force. A champion of collective improvisation, he spent three decades tearing open what jazz could be, and his Grammy Hall of Fame inductions and lifetime achievement honors feel almost like understatement. What grips me is the raw emotional weather of his music, rage and tenderness packed into the same bar. He died in 1979, yet his sound still thrashes and breathes like a living thing I expect to spend a lifetime exploring.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Charles Mingus
- Name (Japanese)
- チャールズ・ミンガス
- Reading
- ちゃーるず・みんがす
- Born
- April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Taurus / Dog
- Origin
- Nogales, Arizona, United States
- Occupation
- pianist / composer / bandleader / conductor / jazz musician
2. Background
- High school
- Jordan High School
Awards & achievements
- 1971 Guggenheim Fellowship
- 1997 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1994 Grammy Hall of Fame
- 1996 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame
- 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.charlesmingus.com
- Xhttps://x.com/Mingus
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles%20Mingus
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%82%BA%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9F%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AC%E3%82%B9
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107432
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Charles Mingus born?
Born April 22, 1922.
When did Charles Mingus die?
Died January 5, 1979, aged 56.
Where was Charles Mingus from?
Charles Mingus was from Nogales, Arizona, United States.
What did Charles Mingus do?
Charles Mingus worked as pianist, composer, bandleader, conductor, jazz musician.
Pianist — see all → · Composer — see all → · More people from the United States →