Sonny Rollins, the legendary tenor saxophonist celebrated for his bold, distinctive tone and relentless experimentation, passed away on Monday at the age of 95. His spokesperson, Terri Hinte, confirmed his death to The Associated Press, stating that Rollins died at his home in Woodstock, New York. While no specific cause was given, Hinte noted that he had been largely housebound in recent years due to various physical ailments.
From his early days as a teenage prodigy to his later, more contemplative solo work and forays into free jazz, Rollins was revered for his improvisational prowess. He was one of the last living giants of the bebop era and, alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker, among the most influential saxophonists of his generation.
Enduring Achievements
Rollins's music reached a wider audience when the Rolling Stones featured his wistful saxophone solo on the ballad "Waiting on a Friend" from their 1981 album Tattoo You. Despite his enduring success, Rollins never felt fully satisfied with his art, often taking lengthy breaks from performing and continually adopting new styles. He described himself as "a work in progress," never content to settle into one way of playing. While his early bebop work was most popular among fans, Rollins avoided revisiting it, finding it "excruciating" to listen to the flaws in his older recordings.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Rollins released a string of critically acclaimed albums, maintaining a rigorous practice regimen and touring into his 80s. Pulmonary fibrosis eventually forced him into retirement; he played his last concert in 2012 and stopped playing altogether in 2014. He missed the adoration of crowds but missed the act of playing even more. In a 2020 interview with the New York Times, he recalled early concerts where he felt a connection to something greater than the audience.
His 2001 album This Is What I Do won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, and he won again in 2006 for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for "Why Was I Born?" from Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert, a live recording from a performance in Boston just four days after the September 11 attacks. Rollins, who had been evacuated from his apartment near Ground Zero, went ahead with the concert at the urging of his wife and manager, Lucille, who passed away in 2004. He is survived by his nephew, Clifton Anderson, and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.
Meeting the Greats
Rollins got his first major break in his late teens when he joined Thelonious Monk's band. He soon jammed with Miles Davis and Bud Powell, who introduced him to the recording world before he finished high school. However, like many jazz musicians of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Rollins struggled with heroin addiction, which he developed at age 19. His addiction led to two jail stints—10 months in 1950 and three months in 1953—and eventually living on the streets in Chicago. In 1954, he checked into a hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, for drug treatment, undergoing a spiritual awakening that he credited with awakening his consciousness.
After his recovery, he joined the Max Roach-Clifford Brown quintet and recorded his solo album Saxophone Colossus in 1956. Its stripped-down hard bop sound established him as a premier saxophonist. He then experimented with a pianoless trio on three landmark albums: Way Out West, A Night at the Village Vanguard, and Freedom Suite. At the peak of his popularity, Rollins took a two-year seclusion, practicing alone on a walkway above the East River on the Williamsburg Bridge. He later said he was proud of following his inner self rather than popularity.
During his absence, jazz moved toward free jazz. When Rollins returned in 1961, he embraced the new sound, dividing his fans. In the mid-1960s, he toured heavily in Europe, alternating between traditional and avant-garde approaches. He contributed original music to the soundtrack of Alfie, the 1966 British film that launched Michael Caine's career. During a trip to Japan, he discovered Zen Buddhism, prompting another sabbatical that lasted into the early 1970s.
A Living Legend
When he resumed recording in 1972, Rollins was regarded as a legend and gained mainstream acceptance. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship that year and was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame the following year. He appeared on The Tonight Show and began performing in concert halls instead of nightclubs.
Theodore Walter Rollins was born into a musical family in Harlem on September 7, 1930. His father, a naval petty officer, played clarinet; his sister played piano; and his older brother was a violinist. At age eight, his parents insisted he study piano, but he preferred playing baseball outdoors. By age 11, he became fascinated with the saxophone and persuaded his parents to buy him an alto. Largely self-taught, he quickly became an all-star, switching to tenor sax and playing in clubs at night.
Rollins leaves behind many unreleased recordings but said he did not plan to leave instructions for their disposition. "After I get out of this planet I'm not going to have any say about what's going on, so I'm not worried about that," he told the New York Times in 2020. "And, boy, I agonize over my music; I won't have to agonize about it anymore. Thank God."
