Jazz Saxophone Legend Sonny Rollins Dies At His New York Home
Sonny Rollins, the trailblazing jazz saxophonist, died Monday, May 25, 2026, at his home in Woodstock, New York, at age 95.[1]
He had been largely housebound in recent years because of various physical problems.[1] Pulmonary fibrosis ultimately forced his retirement; his last concert was in 2012 and he stopped playing altogether in 2014.[1]
As a teen, Rollins got his first major break when he joined Thelonious Monk's band and later jammed with Miles Davis and Bud Powell.[1] Critics called him a "restless genius" whose bold tone and constant experimentation kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years.[1] His wistful sax solo on the Rolling Stones' 1981 song "Waiting on a Friend" was devised after he watched Mick Jagger dance.[1]
He is survived by his nephew, trombonist Clifton Anderson, and by nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- Sonny Rollins died Monday, May 25, 2026, at his home in Woodstock, New York, at age 95 and had been largely housebound in recent years with various physical problems (Sonny Rollins).
- PBS News characterizes Rollins as a “restless genius” whose bold tone and constant experimentation kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years and notes he was one of the last living greats of the bebop era (PBS News).
- His wistful sax solo on the Rolling Stones' 1981 song 'Waiting on a Friend' was devised after he watched Mick Jagger dance (Rolling Stones' 1981 song 'Waiting on a Friend').
- Pulmonary fibrosis ultimately forced Rollins to retire; his last concert was in 2012 and he stopped playing altogether in 2014 (Pulmonary fibrosis).
- Surviving relatives include his nephew Clifton Anderson and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat, and his first major break came as a teen when he joined Thelonious Monk's band before later jamming with Miles Davis and Bud Powell (nephew Clifton Anderson).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- PBS/AP specify that Sonny Rollins died Monday, May 25, 2026, at his home in Woodstock, New York, at age 95 and note he had been largely housebound in recent years with various physical problems.
- The article characterizes Rollins as a 'restless genius' whose bold tone and constant experimentation kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years, and notes he was one of the last living greats of the bebop era.
- It adds detail that his wistful sax solo on the Rolling Stones' 1981 song 'Waiting on a Friend' was devised after he watched Mick Jagger dance.
- The piece reiterates that pulmonary fibrosis ultimately forced his retirement, that his last concert was in 2012 and he stopped playing altogether in 2014.
- It specifies surviving relatives as nephew Clifton Anderson and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat, and recounts that his first major break came as a teen when he joined Thelonious Monk's band and later jammed with Miles Davis and Bud Powell.