Sonny Rollins, one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time, has died aged 95. His death was announced on his website with 'deep sorrow and profound love', and confirmed by his publicist. No cause was given, but the statement said 'the Saxophone Colossus' died at his home in Woodstock, New York, on Monday afternoon.
Born Walter Theodore Rollins in New York City in 1930, he was raised in Harlem and earned the nickname Sonny from his grandmother. He started learning saxophone aged seven. After leaving school, he played with local talents such as Bud Powell and touring stars like JJ Johnson. Rollins struggled with heroin, committing an armed robbery in 1950 to fund his habit. He served 10 months on Rikers Island and kicked his habit through a rehab programme in 1955.
Getting clean spurred an astonishing burst of creativity. Rollins released his debut album as bandleader in 1953, and recorded 17 more by the end of the decade, including landmarks such as Saxophone Colossus (1956) featuring signature tune 'St Thomas', Way Out West (1957), and Freedom Suite (1958). He collaborated with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Art Blakey. In 2011, Barack Obama presented him with the National Medal of the Arts, saying Rollins inspired him to 'take risks that I might not otherwise have taken'.
Miles Davis described Rollins as 'a legend, almost a god to a lot of the younger musicians … an aggressive, innovative player who always had fresh musical ideas'. Rollins himself said: 'Jazz is good. It’s not just lecture music, it’s not shake your booty music. It’s everything.'
Rollins took a three-year break from recording in 1959, practising on the Williamsburg Bridge to avoid disturbing neighbours, inspiring his 1962 comeback album The Bridge. He later took another sabbatical between 1969 and 1971, travelling to an Indian ashram to study yoga and meditation. With more than 60 albums released from the late-1940s onwards, Rollins was one of the last living stars of the bebop generation.
