John Coltrane
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
John Coltrane | |
|---|---|
Coltrane in 1963 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John William Coltrane |
| Also known as | Trane |
| Born | September 23, 1926 Hamlet, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 1967 (aged 40) Huntington, New York, U.S. |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instrument(s) |
|
| Years active | 1945–1967 |
| Labels | |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Website | JohnColtrane.com |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1945–1946 |
| Rank | Seaman first class |
| Unit | Naval Station Pearl Harbor Pacific Fleet Ceremonial Band |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal |
Born and raised in North Carolina, Coltrane moved to Philadelphia after graduating from high school, where he studied music. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes and was one of the players at the forefront of free jazz. He led at least fifty recording sessions and appeared on many albums by other musicians, including trumpeter Miles Davis and pianist Thelonious Monk. Over the course of his career, Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension, as exemplified on his most acclaimed album A Love Supreme (1965) and others. Decades after his death, Coltrane remains influential, and he has received numerous posthumous awards, including a special Pulitzer Prize, and was canonized by the African Orthodox Church.
His second wife was pianist and harpist Alice Coltrane. The couple had three children: John Jr. (1964–1982), a bassist; Ravi (born 1965), a saxophonist; and Oran (born 1967), a saxophonist, guitarist, drummer and singer.