Charles L. Jr. Booker

Charles Booker (b. 1952) is a retired U.S. Army Bandmaster, and former Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith where he served as Director of Jazz Studies, Director of Bands, and Chair of the Music Department. Mr. Booker studied composition with Hank Levy (composer/arranger for Stan Kenton), Dr. Steve Strunk and Dr. James Balentine, and conducting with Dr. Robert Garofalo and Dr. Robert Rustowicz. Mr. Booker received his degrees from the University of the State of New York and the University of Texas at San Antonio. He later completed courses for Texas teacher certification in secondary music at Texas State University. Mr. Booker’s 21 year career in the U.S. Army included service in the Fifth Army Band in San Antonio, Texas, staff arranger for the Army Field Band, conductor of Army Bands in Louisiana, Germany, New York City, and director of the Jazz Ambassadors in Washington, D.C. He was Interim Director of Bands at Trinity University from 1996 to 1997 and assistant editor at Southern Music Company from 1994 to 1997. Mr. Booker is married to his wife of 45 years, trumpeter and quilter, Claudette [DeRocher] Booker of San Antonio, Texas. They have three children: Erik Booker, public school teacher; Dr. Adam Booker, Assistant Professor of Double Bass at the University of Minnesota Duluth, and Dr. Colleen [Booker] Halverson, English instructor at the Western Governors University. Mr. Booker and Claudette have nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

- Aapted from CharlesBooker.com