▁ill ness ▁and ▁returns ▁home ▁for ▁her ▁fun eral . ▁De pressed ▁by ▁P ree ’ s ▁death ▁and ▁his ▁fal ter ing ▁career , ▁Charlie ▁tries ▁to ▁kill ▁himself ▁by ▁drink ing ▁i od ine , ▁but ▁surv ives . ▁After ▁Chan ▁adm its ▁him ▁into ▁a ▁hospital ▁psych iat ric ▁w ard , ▁she ▁is ▁ad vised ▁to ▁send ▁Charlie ▁to ▁a ▁state ▁facility ▁for ▁shock ▁treat ments . ▁She ▁wor ries ▁that ▁such ▁treat ments ▁might ▁rob ▁Charlie ▁of ▁his ▁cre ative ▁ab ilities . ▁After ▁Charlie ▁is ▁released , ▁Chan ▁convin ces ▁him ▁to ▁move ▁their ▁family ▁to ▁up state ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁Charlie ▁later ▁returns ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁for ▁an ▁aud ition ▁set ▁up ▁by ▁B rew ster , ▁but ▁becomes ▁dist ract ed ▁seeing ▁all ▁the ▁former ▁jazz ▁clubs ▁on ▁ 5 2 nd ▁Street ▁have ▁been ▁turned ▁into ▁strip ▁clubs . ▁Miss ing ▁the ▁aud ition ▁and ▁embar rass ed ▁to ▁tell ▁Chan , ▁Charlie ▁goes ▁to ▁the ▁a partment ▁of ▁Baron ess ▁N ica ▁( D iane ▁Sal inger ), ▁a ▁wealth y ▁jazz ▁music ▁patron , ▁and ▁soon ▁passes ▁out . ▁A ▁doctor ▁arriv es ▁and ▁advis es ▁Charlie ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁the ▁hospital , ▁but ▁he ▁ref uses . ▁Later ▁as ▁he ▁watch es ▁television ▁with ▁the ▁Baron ess , ▁Charlie ▁suff ers ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁and ▁dies ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 4 . ▁ ▁Cast ▁▁ ▁Forest ▁Whit aker ▁as ▁Charlie ▁" B ird " ▁Parker ▁ ▁D iane