On May 25, 2026, Walter Theodore “Sonny” Rollins died aged 95. He was musician (soprano and tenor saxophone), bandleader and composer, widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians of all time. He recorded and performed with Miles David, Dizzy Gillespie, J. J. Johnson, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Kenny Dorham, Art Farmer, Babs Gonzales, Ernie Henry, Abbey Lincoln, The Modern Jazz Quartet, Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, The Rolling Stones, McCoy Tyner, Ron Carter and Al Foster. As leader he released 46 studio album and 15 live albums. For his work he received many awards including

• Elected to the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame (1973)
• Honorary Doctor of Arts from Bard College (1992)
•  Honorary Doctor of Music from Wesleyan University (1998)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from Long Island University (1998)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from Duke University (1999)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from New England Conservatory of Music (2002)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from Berklee College of Music (2003)
• Grammy Award for lifetime achievement (2004)
• Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards
• Council member Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2006)
• Minneapolis, Minnesota officially named October 31, 2006, after Rollins in honor of his achievements and contributions to the world of jazz
• Polar Music Prize “for over 50 years one of the most powerful and personal voices in jazz” (2007)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from Colby College (2007)
• Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class (2009)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from Rutgers University (2009)
• National Medal of Arts (2010)
• Miles Davis Award at the Montreal Jazz Festival (2010)
• Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2010)
• Edward MacDowell Medal (2010)
• Kennedy Center Honors on his 81st birthday (September 7, 2011)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from the Juilliard School (May 2013)
• Honorary Doctor of Music from the University of Hartford (2015)