Known for his often times demanding personality, Charles Mingus was a renowned bassist, leading and composing some of the greatest jazz pieces of all time.

Born in Arizona but raised in Watts, California, his earliest musical inspirations came from attending church. Formally studying bass with H. Rheinshagen, principal bassist of the New York Philharmonic, at around 20 years of age Charles Mingus began touring with bands like Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Lionel Hampton. Settling in New York, he performed with some of the jazz greats, like Miles Davis, Art Tatum and Duke Ellington, before taking the lead. One of the few bassists in the industry to do this, by the mid-‘50s, he had his own publishing and recording company and founded the "Jazz Workshop," a group that helped young composers hear their own work in concert.

A short period left Mingus struggling to keep his musical passion alive, as he failed to find a publisher for his autobiography. Charles Mingus Records, his recording venture, fell under and with it came the loss of most of his money. He quit the music business during the years 1964-1969, only returning to get the paycheck. In 1971 he was awarded the Slee Chair of Music and spent a semester at the State University of New York at Buffalo teaching composition. During this time of revival, he continued touring, traveling to Europe, Japan, Canada and others, but was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 1977, impeding his bass play.

He gained respect during his last few years in the industry, receiving honors in the White House and working with rock-singer Joni Mitchell in the recording studio. He died in 1979, and later New York City and Washington, D.C. created a "Charles Mingus Day." Over the years, he recorded over a hundred albums and wrote over three hundred scores.