Sonny Rollins, the legendary American jazz tenor saxophonist widely known as 'the Saxophone Colossus,' has died at the age of 95. His publicist confirmed that he passed away at his home in Woodstock, New York, on Monday afternoon. No cause of death was provided.
A Life in Music
Rollins began playing the saxophone as a child, receiving his first alto saxophone at age seven or eight. His professional career took off in the 1940s, and by the 1950s he was collaborating with jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane. Over his lifetime, he released more than 60 albums as a bandleader and won two Grammy Awards.
In a statement, his publicist called him 'one of the most honoured and influential figures in American music,' quoting Rollins from 2009: 'I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence. I'm a person who believes this life isn't the be-all and end-all of everything. A spiritual person doesn't feel like that.'
The Bridge and 9/11
During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Rollins famously practiced his saxophone on the pedestrian walkway of the Williamsburg Bridge to avoid disturbing a neighbor who was expecting a baby. This unique rehearsal space inspired his acclaimed 1962 album The Bridge. In 2016, a campaign sought to rename the bridge in his honor.
Rollins and his wife lived just six blocks from the Twin Towers during the September 11 attacks. He evacuated with only his saxophone. Three days later, he performed a live set in Boston titled Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert, for which he won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo. He later told The Guardian: 'I lost many prized possessions in 9/11 and learned a lesson – possessions are not where it’s at.'
Legacy and Influence
Known as 'the great improviser,' saxophonist Branford Marsalis called Rollins 'the greatest improviser in the history of jazz.' His influence extended beyond music. Former US President Barack Obama, while presenting Rollins with the 2010 National Medal of the Arts in 2011, said Rollins inspired him to 'take risks that I might not otherwise have taken.'
Rollins retired in 2014 due to a respiratory illness. He once reflected on jazz's power: 'Jazz is good. It’s not just lecture music, it’s not shake your booty music. It’s everything. It doesn’t make you feel like fighting. It makes you feel that there is a God.'
