File:Sonny_Rollins_1974_press_photo.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Sonny Rollins
Sign in to saveAlso known as Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins, Walter Theodore Rollins, Newk
American jazz saxophonist and composer (born 1930)
OverviewAI-generated
Sonny Rollins, born Walter Theodore Rollins in 1930, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and conductor. He performed on the tenor and soprano saxophones within the jazz, post-bop, bebop, and hard bop genres. His career began in 1947 and concluded in 2026. Rollins was influenced by Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and Thelonious Monk.
He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honors, Guggenheim Fellowship, and National Medal of Arts. Rollins was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He recorded for Blue Note, Contemporary Records, and Prestige. His archives are held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. He was represented by Broadcast Music, Inc.
Synthesized by Vinony from 34 facts across 5 sources: Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Last.fm, TMDb, Vinony collections. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Person
- Died
- 2026-00-00
via Open Library + Wikidata
Film & TV
New York City, New York, USA
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (September 7, 1930 - May 25, 2026) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a leader. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", "Pent-Up House", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards.…
Known for
- Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes — Self2023
- Hargrove — Self2022
- Jazz Club 22022
- It Must Schwing: The Blue Note Story — Self2018
- Chasing Trane — Self - Musician2017
- Brownie Speaks — Self2014
- Sonny Rollins: Beyond the Notes — Self2012
- Sonny Rollins '74: Rescued! — Self2010
- The Jazz Baroness — Self2009
- Jazz Icons: Sonny Rollins Live in '65 & '68 — Self2008
via TMDB
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 753,992
- Total plays
- 7,829,952
Tags
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (September 7, 1930 – May 25, 2026) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded more than sixty albums as a leader. His 1956 album Saxophone Colossus was selected for preservation by the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2016. A number of his compositions, including "St. <a href="https://www.last.fm/music/Sonny+Rollins
Key facts
- Born
- Walter Theodore Rollins , ( 1930-09-07 ) September 7, 1930, Harlem , New York City , U.S.
- Died
- May 25, 2026 (2026-05-25) (aged 95), Woodstock, New York , U.S.
- Genres
- Jazz hard bop
- Occupations
- Musician composer bandleader
- Instruments
- Alto saxophone tenor saxophone soprano saxophone
- Years active
- 1947–2014
- Labels
- Prestige Blue Note Contemporary RCA Victor Impulse! Milestone Doxy Okeh EmArcy
- Spouse
- Dawn Finney ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1957 ; divorced</span>"}]]}'>div. 1957 ) Lucille Pearson ( married</span>"}]]}'>m. 1965 ; died 2004 )
- Website
- sonnyrollins .com
via Wikipedia infobox
Key dates
- Died
- 2026
via Wikidata · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Harlem
- Place of death
- Woodstock
- Occupation
- saxophonist
- Award
- NEA Jazz Masters
- Field of work
- jazz
- Genre
- post-bop
- Instrument
- soprano saxophone
- Record label
- Prestige
- Official website
- sonnyrollins.com
- Image
- SonnyRollins.jpg
- Residence
- Washington Heights
Show 15 more facts
- Commons category
- Sonny Rollins
- date of birth
- 1930-09-07
- topic's main category
- Category:Sonny Rollins
- influenced by
- Charlie Parker
- start of work period
- 1947-00-00
- social media followers
- 43443
- name in native language
- Sonny Rollins
- birth name
- Walter Theodore Rollins
- copyright representative
- Broadcast Music, Inc.
- nickname
- Newk
- ethnic group
- African Americans
- end of work period
- 2026-00-00
- date of death
- 2026-00-00
- described at URL
- baike.sogou.com/v1274852.htm
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
~32 min read
Encyclopedic overview
Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (September 7, 1930 – May 25, 2026) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians.
In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded more than 60 albums as a leader. His 1956 album Saxophone Colossus was selected for preservation by the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress in 2016. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards. Rollins was often called "the greatest living improviser". He was the last survivor of the 57 jazz musicians depicted in the 1958 photograph A Great Day in Harlem.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Sonny Rollins” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.