Born John William Coltrane to the parents John R. and Alice Blair Coltrane on September 23, 1926 in North Carolina. Coltrane had music all around him in his youth. His father was an amateur musician. In 1939, at the age of 13 when he joined the community band in High Point, NC where he played the clarinet and the alto horn. He later grabbed the alto saxophone in high school. At the age of 17 he graduated from High School and moved to Philadelphia were he attended Ornstein School of Music and Granoff Studios. To some surprise his first recording was in Hawaii where he was station in the Navy there. He was at the tendered age of 19 when he was drafted. Coltrane along the way to stardom slipped up and started using heroine. He tried to contain his addiction. Miles Davis and Coltrane were in a band together and that was the high point of his career. Some say it was when he was doing his solo career, but Miles Davis made John Coltrane. Coltrane was fired numerous of times for his addiction to heroine. Throughout his musical career he has performed with many talent Jazz player. He joined with Thelonious Monk Quartet in 1957. Later that year Coltrane was back with Miles. In the following years they recorded Davis’s album Milestones (1958). The unique thing about John Coltrane was in-between all of his down time and the gigs he always recorded his own sound. He followed his heart when he went into the studio. At the age of 40 John William Coltrane passed away of liver cancer. Coltrane has some of the best JAZZ melody and beats today. In 1981 he won a Grammy for best Jazz performance, soloist, for Bye Bye Blackbird (made live on Europe) and it would be 25 years after his death that he would receive one of the highest achievements.... The Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992.
Amy Alexander
Bio written by: Alleycat |
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