RIP Sonny Rollins (1930-2026)

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. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards. Rollins was often called "the greatest living improviser". Rollins was the last survivor of the 57 jazz musicians depicted in the 1958 photograph A Great Day in Harlem.

Throughout his career, Rollins was nicknamed the "saxophone colossus". He was awarded a lifetime Grammy Award and was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2011. He was credited as a defining figure of the jazz genre.