Charlie Louis Russell, Jr. (March 10, 1932 – June 28, 2013)[1] was an American writer, best known for his play, Five on the Black Hand Side,[2] which was later made into an acclaimed motion picture.
Charlie and his younger brother, basketball legend Bill Russell,[3] attended local Oakland schools.
In the early 1970s, Russell served as writer in residence at Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre (NBT) in Harlem.
His play Relaxin' at Camarillo told the story of legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker's stay in a mental institution.
Russell resided in Oakland where he was an active member of the California Writers Club until his death on June 28, 2013, after a battle with gastric cancer.