Jazz legend Benny Golson, a renowned tenor saxophonist and composer, has died at 95. He passed away Saturday in Manhattan after a brief illness, according to his longtime agent, Jason Franklin. Golson's seven-decade career included collaborations with jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, and John Coltrane. He was particularly celebrated for his compositions, including iconic pieces such as "Killer Joe" and "I Remember Clifford."
Born in Philadelphia, Golson began his musical journey on the piano at age 9 and transitioned to saxophone at 14. He started performing professionally during high school with local musicians, including his friend Coltrane. After attending Howard University, Golson joined Gillespie's big band and co-founded The Jazztet in 1959. It disbanded in 1962, and Golson transitioned to writing scores for movies and TV shows like Mannix and M-A-S-H and arranging for artists like Peggy Lee and Dusty Springfield.
Golson resumed his saxophone career in the mid-1970s and launched a new Jazztet in 1982. His work persisted into his 90s, culminating in his autobiography, Whisper Not, published in 2016. Although he stopped performing due to the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, he continued contributing to projects, including a forthcoming documentary. Golson appeared as himself in Steven Spielberg's 2004 film The Terminal. He is survived by his wife Bobbie, daughter Brielle, and grandchildren. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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