Jazz musician Sonny Rollins dies aged 95

Jazz musician Sonny Rollins has died at the age of 95. According to his publicist, the saxophonist known as the “Saxophone Colossus” died at his home in Woodstock, New York, on Monday afternoon.

In the statement, Rollins was described as “one of the most honoured and influential figures in American music of the 20th century and beyond.” It also included a quote by the musician from 2009:

“I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence. I’m a person who believes this life isn’t the be-all and end-all of everything. A spiritual person doesn’t feel like that.”

Although no cause of death has been announced, Rollins had been largely housebound in recent years due to several health problems.

Born Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins, he recorded more than 60 albums during a career that spanned seven decades. Known for his improvisational style and musical inventiveness, Rollins became one of the defining figures of modern jazz.

His 1956 album Saxophone Colossus brought him widespread critical acclaim and remains one of the most celebrated recordings. In 2016, the album was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, a collection of culturally significant recordings maintained by the Library of Congress.

After taking a three-year sabbatical from performing, Rollins returned with The Bridge in 1962, one of the most successful albums of his career.

He received Grammy Awards for the album This Is What I Do and ‘Why Was I Born?’, a live recording of a performance that took place just five days after the September 11 attacks, which he witnessed from a few blocks away.