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Guitarist Gil Gutiérrez performs with Oriente Lopez on flute, Bob Stern on violin, and Dave Rodriguez on double bass at New York's premier jazz club Birdland. Photo; John Kisch
Photo: Hudson Valley Traveller | CC BY 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons

Jazz Saxophone Legend Sonny Rollins Dies At His New York Home

Sonny Rollins, the jazz saxophone legend, died Monday, May 25, 2026, at his home in Woodstock, New York, at age 95.[1] Spokesperson Terri Hinte said he had been largely housebound in recent years and gave no specific cause of death.[1]

Born in Harlem on September 7, 1930, Rollins emerged as a leading bebop-era saxophonist and was regarded alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker as one of the most influential players of his time.[1]

His career stretched more than 50 years and included Grammy-winning albums in 2001 and 2006, and he retired from performing after pulmonary fibrosis forced him to stop playing in 2014.[1]

  1. CBS News
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📌 Key Facts

  • Sonny Rollins died Monday, May 25, 2026, at his home in Woodstock, New York, at age 95.
  • Spokesperson Terri Hinte said he had been largely housebound in recent years and gave no specific cause of death.
  • Rollins was a leading bebop-era saxophonist whose career spanned more than 50 years and included Grammy-winning albums in 2001 and 2006.
  • He retired from performance after pulmonary fibrosis forced him to stop playing in 2014.
  • He was born in Harlem on September 7, 1930, and was regarded alongside John Coltrane and Charlie Parker as one of the most influential saxophonists of his time.

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May 26, 2026
3:37 AM
Sonny Rollins, trailblazing jazz saxophonist, dies at age 95
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