Acclaimed jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who once worked with English rock band The Rolling Stones, died at the age of 95 at his home in Woodstock, New York, on May 25, 2026. His publicist, Terri Hinte, confirmed the news of his death, which was also announced on his website. Rollins, who has released over 60 albums as a band leader and won two Grammys, was forced to retire in 2014 due to pulmonary fibrosis.
The announcement of Sonny Rollins’ passing on his website included a quote from the jazz legend about him reflecting on death, stating:
“I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence. I’m a person who believes this life isn’t the be-all and end-all of everything. A spiritual person doesn’t feel like that.”
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Sonny Rollins had an estimated net worth of $3 million. In 2023, the saxophonist sold his entire catalogue, which included recorded songs and publishing rights, to Reservoir Media.
More about Sonny Rollins’ career
Sonny Rollins, whose real name was Walter Theodore Rollins, was born in New York City in 1930 and raised in Harlem. Rollins’ introduction to jazz music came early in his life, after his mother gave him his first alto saxophone when he was seven. The prodigy soon began honing his skills on the tenor saxophone while in high school and joined bands after graduating.
However, his budding career was cut short after he was arrested for armed robbery in 1950 and was incarcerated for 10 months in Rikers Island. In 1952, he was rearrested for breaching his parole terms by using heroin, a habit he later kicked while in rehab. Around that time, he released his debut album as a bandleader, titled Sonny Rollins with the Modern Jazz Quartet.
He continued to release more albums, including Saxophone Colossus in 1956, which became one of his more defining works. However, in 1959, Rollins decided to take some time and perfect his skills over the next couple of years by practising for over 14 hours on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York.
In 1962, he released his comeback album aptly titled The Bridge. In a 2022 interview with the Guardian, Rollins revealed that he had been dissatisfied with his work and decided to practice more, adding:
“What made me withdraw and go to the bridge was how I felt about my own playing. I knew I was dissatisfied.”
Sonny Rollins released his last studio album in 2006, titled Sonny, Please. Rollins also put on multiple live shows, his most noteworthy one being a concert in Boston, titled Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York City. Rollins reportedly lived in an apartment blocks away from the World Trade Centre at the time and had been forced to evacuate with just his saxophone in hand.
In 2012, Sonny Rollins played his last show, and two years later, unexpectedly announced his retirement due to a respiratory condition.
In addition to his solo work, Sonny Rollins played for multiple artists and bands, including The Rolling Stones. The saxophonist played on three tracks for The Rolling Stones‘ 1981 album Tattoo You. However, despite working with them, Rollins told The New York Times in 2020 that he didn’t relate to the band as he felt their music was “derivative of black blues,” adding:
“The Rolling Stones, I didn’t relate to them because I thought they were just derivative of black blues. 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.”
On a personal front, Sonny Rollins was married twice. He was briefly married to his first wife, Dawn Finney, in 1957. That same year, he met his second wife, Lucille Pearson. Rollins and Pearson tied the knot in 1965 and remained together till Pearson’s death in 2004. Rollins did not have any children.
Edited by Juhi Marzia