'Saxophone Colossus' Sonny Rollins dies at 95

Sonny Rollins knew not to die young

How is it that the "Saxophone Colossus" Sonny Rollins lived to 95? Aren't jazz musicians supposed to die at tragically early ages? Actually, that's a myth that Rollins and others proved flawed.

Sonny Rollins, saxophone colossus, and a seeker

Born in Harlem into a musical family, Rollins’s mother gave him a second-hand alto saxophone at 11, and he never let go.

Sonny Rollins (1930-2026): A jazz legend for whom art and life were never different

Lord – use my troubles to bring beautiful harmony to my lifeLord – shine your light on every problem I have and show me its beautyThese are two prayers from the notebook of Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins, who passed away on May 25 in his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95 years old, the last of a generation. He was the final surviving member from A Great Day in Harlem. I hung a copy of this photograph on my wall as a teenager and my eyes of…

'Saxophone Colossus' Sonny Rollins dies at 95

Sonny Rollins Dead at 95: Jazz Saxophone Legend Dies

Sonny Rollins, the towering tenor saxophonist who helped define the sound of postwar American jazz across more than six decades, died Monday afternoon at his home in Woodstock, New York. He was 95. His publicist confirmed the death, calling Rollins "one of the most honored and influential figures in American music." No cause of death was announced. Born Walter Theodore Rollins in New York in 1930, the man who earned the nickname "Sonny" from his…