Sonny Rollins, one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time, has died aged 95. His death was announced on his website on Monday, with a statement saying 'the Saxophone Colossus' died at his home in Woodstock, New York. No cause of death was given.
Rollins was a genius of melodic invention and improvisation, working with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and others. With more than 60 albums released from the late 1940s onwards, he was one of the last living stars of the bebop generation. Barack Obama, presenting him with the 2010 National Medal of the Arts, said Rollins had inspired him to 'take risks that I might not otherwise have taken'.
Born Walter Theodore Rollins in New York City in 1930, he was raised in Harlem and started learning the saxophone at age seven. He quickly became a leading figure in the bebop scene, with Davis describing him as 'a legend, almost a god to a lot of the younger musicians'. Rollins released his debut album as bandleader in 1953 and recorded landmarks including Saxophone Colossus (1956), Way Out West (1957) and Freedom Suite (1958).
After overcoming a heroin addiction, Rollins took a three-year break from recording in 1959, practising on the Williamsburg Bridge. He continued to record and perform into the 2000s, leaving a legacy as one of jazz's most innovative improvisers.
