Sonny Rollins, one of the most influential jazz saxophonists of all time, has died aged 95. His death was announced on his website on Monday, with his publicist Terri Hinte confirming the news. The statement said the 'Saxophone Colossus' died at his home in Woodstock, New York, on Monday afternoon, though no cause was given.
Rollins was one of the last surviving stars of the bebop generation, releasing more than 60 albums from the late 1940s onwards. He collaborated with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane, among others, and was lauded by Barack Obama, who said Rollins had inspired him to take risks. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis called him 'the greatest improviser in the history of jazz' alongside Louis Armstrong.
Born Walter Theodore Rollins in New York City in 1930, he grew up in Harlem and earned the nickname Sonny from his grandmother. He began learning the saxophone at seven, inspired by his siblings and jazz heroes such as Louis Jordan and Fats Waller. His high school band included future stars Jackie McLean and Kenny Drew, and after leaving school he played with Bud Powell and JJ Johnson.
Rollins struggled with heroin addiction, committing an armed robbery in 1950 to fund his habit. He spent 10 months on Rikers Island and eventually overcame his addiction in 1955. That year marked the start of a prolific period, with landmark albums including Saxophone Colossus (1956), Way Out West (1957) and Freedom Suite (1958), the title track of which was seen as an elegant argument for freedom during the civil rights movement.
In 1959, Rollins took a three-year break, practising for up to 15 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge, which inspired his 1962 comeback album The Bridge. He later took another sabbatical between 1969 and 1971 to study at an Indian ashram. Reflecting on death, Rollins once said: 'I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence.'
