Overview
- Rollins died at his home in Woodstock, New York, on Monday and his passing was confirmed by publicist Terri Hinte and a statement on his official site; no cause of death has been released.
- Respiratory illness forced him from the stage: he gave his last public performance in 2012 and formally retired from performing in 2014 because of pulmonary fibrosis.
- Across more than 60 albums he expanded improvisation on the tenor saxophone with landmark records such as Saxophone Colossus and The Bridge and with collaborations that included Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane.
- He received major national honors, including two Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of Arts and a Kennedy Center Honor, and in 2023 he sold his catalogue to Reservoir Media.
- Rollins is survived by his nephew Clifton Anderson and nieces Vallyn Anderson and Gabrielle DeGroat, and his death closes a direct link to the bebop era that is likely to prompt tributes, reissues and renewed attention to his recordings.