Legendary American jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins has died at the age of 95 at his home in Woodstock, New York, his publicist confirmed in a statement. No cause of death was disclosed.
Rollins, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in jazz history, was praised for his extended improvisations and decades-long impact on the genre.
His career began in the late 1940s, and he went on to perform and record with some of jazz’s most iconic names, including Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane.
He also collaborated with musicians such as Art Blakey and Bud Powell.
Mentored early in his development by pianist Thelonious Monk, Rollins built a catalogue of more than 60 albums and earned two Grammy Awards before retiring from public performance in 2014 due to respiratory illness.
One of his most celebrated records, Saxophone Colossus (1956), is widely credited with cementing his place in jazz history.
He also became known for his intense practice sessions on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge in the early 1960s, an experience that inspired his 1962 album The Bridge.
Rollins often spoke about his philosophy of music and life. In a 2009 reflection, he said: “I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence.”
He also added: “A spiritual person doesn’t feel like that.”
In earlier interviews, he recalled receiving his first saxophone as a child: “My mother gave me my first saxophone, I started playing that was it.”
Rollins was in New York during the September 11, 2001 attacks and later said he escaped his home near the World Trade Center carrying only his saxophone.
In 2010, former U.S. President Barack Obama awarded him the National Medal of the Arts, praising his influence on generations of musicians.
Known for his spontaneous style, Rollins often said he preferred to step on stage without a fixed plan, allowing the music to guide his performances.
