"I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence."
Sonny Rollins, the legendary tenor saxophonist whose improvisational genius defined the golden age of jazz, died on Sunday at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95 years old.
The announcement of his death was made on his website and confirmed by his publicist, Terri Hinte. A specific cause of death was not cited, though sources reported he had been housebound due to physical problems and had retired from performing in 2012 after a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis.
Biography and Early Career
Born Walter Theodore Rollins in New York City in 1930, he began playing the saxophone at the age of seven. He launched his professional career as a teenager, joining Thelonious Monk's band. He would later play with Miles Davis, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, and other prominent figures. Rollins released over 60 albums from the late 1940s onwards, and contributed to the soundtrack of the 1966 film Alfie.
Personal Challenges
According to published reports, Rollins struggled with heroin addiction from age 19. He served 10 months in jail on Rikers Island in 1950 for armed robbery. In 1954, he underwent treatment at a hospital in Kentucky, completing a rehabilitation program in 1955.
Career Hiatuses and Return
Following his recovery, Rollins joined the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet. In the late 1950s, he took a two-year hiatus, during which he famously practiced alone on a Williamsburg Bridge walkway. He returned to performing in 1961, incorporating elements of free jazz. A trip to Japan introduced him to Zen Buddhism, leading to another sabbatical until the early 1970s.
Key Works and Recognition
- His 1956 album Saxophone Colossus is widely regarded as a landmark work in the hard bop style.
- Key albums include Way Out West (1957), Freedom Suite (1958), and A Night at the Village Vanguard.
- He received a Guggenheim fellowship and was inducted into the Downbeat Hall of Fame.
- His saxophone solo appears on the Rolling Stones' 1981 song "Waiting on a Friend".
- He won Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (2001, This Is What I Do) and Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (2006, "Why Was I Born?"). The latter was from the album Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert, recorded four days after the September 11 attacks.
- He received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 2004.
Later Years and Statements
Rollins stopped performing in 2012 due to pulmonary fibrosis and stopped playing altogether in 2014. In a statement quoted on his website, Rollins said: "I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence." Musician Branford Marsalis called him "the greatest improviser in the history of jazz," and former President Barack Obama stated Rollins inspired him to "take risks."
Survivors
Rollins was married twice: briefly to Dawn Finney in 1957, and to Lucille Pearson from 1965 until her death in 2004. He is survived by a nephew and two nieces.