Sonny Rollins

Artist Bio:

Virtuoso tenor saxophonist and composer widely revered as the “Saxophone Colossus” for his physical and musical stature, and renowned for his unparalleled command of thematic improvisation; one of the most influential, inventive, and prolific musicians in the history of jazz; emerged in the late 140s and pioneered the hard bop movement in collaborations with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and others; wrote undisputed jazz standards including “St. Thomas,” “Oleo,” and “Doxy” and released nearly 50 studio albums from 1953 to 2006; famously took several self-imposed sabbaticals at the peak of his fame to perfect his craft—most notably practicing solo for hours at night from 1959 to 1961 on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City; honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2010, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2011; died from pulmonary fibrosis on 5/26/2026, age 95.

Artist Website:
https://sonnyrollins.com/

Wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Rollins

Obituary Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/arts/music/sonny-rollins-dead.html