Health and death

In the late 1930s Christian contracted tuberculosis,[25] and in early 1940 he was
hospitalized for a short period in which the Goodman group was on hiatus because of
Goodman's back trouble. Goodman was hospitalized in the summer of 1940 after a
brief stay at Santa Catalina Island, California, where the band stayed when they
were on the West Coast.[21]

Proposed grave site for Christian at Gates Hill Cemetery, Bonham, Texas
Christian returned home to Oklahoma City in late July 1940 and returned to New York
City in September 1940. In early 1941, Christian resumed his hectic lifestyle,
heading to Harlem for late-night jam sessions after finishing gigs with the Goodman
Sextet and Orchestra in New York City. In June 1941 he was admitted to Seaview, a
sanitarium on Staten Island in New York City. He was reported to be making
progress, and Down Beat magazine reported in February 1942 that he and Cootie
Williams were starting a band.[26]

After a visit to the hospital that same month by the tap dancer and drummer Marion
Joseph "Taps" Miller, Christian declined in health. He died March 2, 1942, at the
age of 25. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Bonham, Texas. A Texas State
Historical Commission Marker and headstone were placed in Gates Hill Cemetery in
1994. The location of the historical marker and headstone was disputed, and in
March 2013, Fannin County, Texas, recognized that the marker was in the wrong spot
and that Christian is buried under the concrete slab.[27]

Instruments
Epiphone Deluxe guitar (an acoustic archtop guitar), 1934-1937[28]
Gibson ES-150 guitar (sunburst finish, with dot inlays on the fingerboard), and EH-
150 amplifier, 1937 or 1939 - April 1940[29]
Gibson ES-250 guitar (custom built by Gibson with a natural finish, a Super 400
tailpiece, and bowtie inlays on the fingerboard), April 1940 - February 1941. This
instrument was re-discovered in 2002.[30]
Gibson ES-250 guitar (custom built by Gibson with a natural finish, an L-7 style
neck, and custom inlays on the fingerboard), February 1941 - March 1942
Gibson L-5 guitar (custom built by Gibson with a “Charlie Christian pickup” instead
of a P-90). This guitar was delivered to Christian just prior to his death in March
1942. It was later owned by Tony Mottola.[31]
The bar-style pickup used on the ES-150 and ES-250 became known as the “Charlie
Christian pickup”.

Discography
Christian never recorded as a leader. Compilations have been released of his
sessions as a sideman in which he is a featured soloist, of practice and warm-up
recordings for these sessions, and some lower-quality recordings of Christian's own
groups performing in nightclubs, by amateur technicians.[3]

With Benny Goodman

Charlie Christian with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra (Columbia)
Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian (Columbia, 1972)
The Genius of the Electric Guitar (Columbia, 1939–1941 recordings)
Solo Flight, with the Benny Goodman Sextet (Vintage Jazz Classics, 2003)
Electric, with the Benny Goodman Sextet and the Charlie Christian Quartet (Uptown,
2011)
With Lionel Hampton

The Complete RCA Victor Recordings, 1937–1949 (Bluebird, 1995)

With others
Guitar Wizard (LeJazz, 1993)
Filmography
2005 Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian
2007 Charlie Christian- The Life & Music of the Legendary Jazz Guitarist (Grossman
Guitar Workshop)
Notes
Hammond, John; Townsend, Irving (1977). John Hammond on Record: An Autobiography.
New York: Ridge Press. ISBN 0-671-40003-7.
Simon, George T. (1971). The Big Bands. ISBN 0-02-872430-5.
Liner notes. Solo Flight: The Genius of Charlie Christian. Columbia G 30779.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. p. 7.
Lee, Amy (1940). "Charlie Christian Tried to Play Hot Tenor!" Metronome.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. pp. 12–15.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. pp. 18–20, 137, 399.
Jasinski, Laurie E. "Charles Henry Christian Profile". Tshaonline.org. Retrieved
2012-03-02.
Feather, Leonard: (1960). The Enccyclopedia of Jazz. Horizon Press.
Amy Lee, Amy (1940). "Charlie Christian Tried to Play Hot Tenor!" Metronome.
"Inductees". Oklahoma Jazz Hall Of Fame. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. pp. 369, 373-374.
Lee, Amy (1940), "Charlie Christian Wanted to Play Hot Tenor!" Metronome.
Feather, Leonard. "Inside Jazz".
"Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee". Rockhall.com. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. pp. 327–328.
Popoff, Martin (2011). Black Sabbath FAQ. Backbeat Books.
Feather, Leonard (1960). The New Edition of the Encyclopedia of Jazz. Horizon
Press: New York.
"Leo Valdes". Home.roadrunner.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15.
Retrieved 2012-03-02.
Centlivre, Kevin (2009-04-16). ""Revisiting Charlie Christian"".
Blogs.myspace.com. Archived from the original on 2010-08-08. Retrieved 2012-03-02.
Broadbent, Peter. Charlie Christian, Solo Flight: The Story of the Seminal
Electric Guitarist.
Spring, Howard (1980). The Improvisational Style of Charlie Christian.
"Jazz". World Book Encyclopedia.
Albertson, Chris. Liner notes. Columbia G 30779.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. p. 344.
Goins, Wayne; McKinney, Craig. A Biography of Charlie Christian: Jazz Guitar's
King of Swing. p. 327.
"Burial Info for Charles Christian". TXFannin. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
Broadbent, Peter, Charlie Christian: Solo Flight, ISBN 1872639569, Ashley Mark,
2003, p.48
"Charlie's Gear". 22 January 2015.
"Rare Charlie Christian guitar to be exhibited during Charlie Christian
International Music Festival". 2 June 2010.
"Finding Charlie Christian's Guitar: Lynn Wheelwright Interview - Jas Obrecht
Music Archive". jasobrecht.com.