Sonny Rollins, the revered jazz saxophonist known to rock fans for his work with the Rolling Stones, died May 25 at the age of 95.
A statement announcing Rollins’ death described him as “one of the most honored and influential figures in American music of the 20th century and beyond.”
Born in Harlem, New York in 1930, Rollins began playing music as a child. He was already a professional by the time he was a teenager and he really made a name for himself in the ‘50s, rising to become one of jazz’s premiere musicians.
Just as he was becoming a star, Rollins took a two year hiatus from recording and performing – a move which only added to the intrigue regarding his talents. He made a triumphant return in 1961, and continued forging a groundbreaking and influential career from there.
Across more than six decades, Rollins played on more than 100 albums. His work included collaborations with such jazz luminaries as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. In 1981, he also found time to work with one of rock’s most iconic acts, the Rolling Stones.
How Did Sonny Rollins End Up Working With the Rolling Stones?
Mick Jagger had met Rollins through a mutual friend in New York, but the Rolling Stones’ frontman was hesitant to ask him to contribute to the band’s 1981 album Tattoo You. The saxophonist eventually said yes, but only at his wife’s insistence.
“I said: ‘Man, the Rolling Stones. I don’t want to do any record with the Rolling Stones,'” Rollins told The New York Times in 2020. “I’d considered them — and it’s faulty — not on the level of jazz. But my wife said, ‘No, no, you must do it.’ So I said, ‘OK, let me see if I can relate to what they are doing; let me see if I can make it sound as good as possible.'”
Rollins ended up contributing to three of the band’s songs: “Slave,” “Neighbours” and, most notably, “Waiting on a Friend.” The latter tune was an old idea that Jagger had struggled for years to complete, but Rollins’ addition proved magical.
READ MORE: Rolling Stones’ ‘Tattoo You’: A Track-by-Track Guide
“I said, ‘Would you like me to stay out there in the studio?'” Jagger recalled asking Rollins when he showed up to record his part.. “He said, ‘Yeah, you tell me where you want me to play and dance the part out.'”
Rollins’ emotive playing proved to be one of the most memorable parts of “Waiting on a Friend.” The track became a radio hit, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Despite the successful collaboration, Rollins declined an invitation to tour with the Stones. He later admitted that he never really connected with the rockers.
“I didn’t relate to them because I thought they were just derivative of black blues,” he remarked, before adding the following anecdote. “I do remember once I was in the supermarket up in Hudson, New York, and they were playing Top 40 records. I heard this song and thought, Who’s that guy? His playing struck a chord in me. Then I said, ‘Wait a minute, that’s me!’ It was my playing on one of those Rolling Stones records.”
Sonny Rollins Was Universally Acclaimed
Rollins’ list of accolades is extensive. He was a two-time Grammy winner, and received a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2004. He received honorary doctorates from over 10 universities, including such prestigious institutions as Duke, Wesleyan, Juilliard and Berklee College of Music. He also received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2011.
Rollins gave his final performance in 2012. Though he never officially announced his retirement, progressive respiratory problems brought on by pulmonary fibrosis forced him to stop performing.
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