Bolden 2019

Charles “Buddy” Bolden, celebrated as King Bolden, led his renowned band in New Orleans from around 1900 to 1907, establishing a lasting legacy with his exceptionally loud sound and penchant for constant improvisation. Despite the absence of any known recordings, Bolden’s influence is underscored by a wealth of oral histories that reflect the enigma surrounding his life.

Unfortunately, the details of his existence are often clouded by colorful myths—tales that depict him as a barber or a publisher of a scandal sheet titled The Cricket, both of which have been disproven but remain part of the lore. Tragically, Bolden suffered a severe episode of alcoholic psychosis in 1907 at the tender age of 30, resulting in a diagnosis of dementia praecox. Following this difficult period, he was institutionalized in a mental hospital where he would spend the remainder of his life.

In the somber confines of Holt Cemetery, a pauper’s graveyard located in New Orleans, Bolden was interred in an unmarked grave. Though a monument was unveiled in his honor back in 1998, his precise final resting place remains a mystery, adding another layer to the intriguing yet tragic story of this jazz pioneer.