Sonny Rollins, jazz sax colossus, dies aged 95

Sonny Rollins, one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of all time and among the last living stars of the bebop generation, has died at age 95. His death was announced on his website and confirmed by publicist Terri Hinte, who said he died at his home in Woodstock, New York on Monday. No specific cause of death was given, though Rollins had been largely housebound over the past couple of years due to various physical problems. The celebrated tenor saxophonist, nicknamed "The Saxophone Colossus," released more than 60 albums from the late 1940s onwards, collaborating with jazz legends including Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane. Born Theodore Walter Rollins in Harlem, New York in 1930, he was surrounded by music from childhood, inspired by his piano-playing sister and violinist brother. He began learning saxophone at age 7 and quickly established himself among the bebop pioneers, though his early career was derailed by heroin addiction that led to two jail stints. After overcoming his addiction through rehab in 1955, Rollins entered a prolific period, releasing landmark albums including "Saxophone Colossus" in 1956, the piano-free "Way Out West" in 1957, and "Freedom Suite" in 1958. His reputation as an improviser was extraordinary, with saxophonist Branford Marsalis calling him "the greatest improviser in the history of jazz" alongside Louis Armstrong, and he received the National Medal of the Arts from President Barack Obama in 2011. Notably, he took an uncharacteristic three-year break from recording in 1959, practicing up to 15 hours daily on the Williamsburg Bridge walkway, which inspired his 1962 comeback album "The Bridge." He also contributed an uncredited sax solo to the Rolling Stones' 1981 album "Tattoo You" on the track "Waiting on a Friend." Rollins' later years were marked by continued innovation and recognition. He won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for "Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert," recorded in Boston just four days after he was evacuated from his apartment near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He earned a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2004 and continued touring into his 80s before being forced to retire in 2014 following a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. He married twice, with his second wife Lucille Pearson, who managed his career, dying in 2004. Survivors include his nephew Clifton Anderson and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.