Roy Haynes, the legendary drummer from jazz's swing and bebop eras, has died at 99 after a brief illness.
The musician's daughter, Leslie Haynes-Gilmore, confirmed the news in a statement to The Guardian.
Having kickstarted his career in the mid-1940s, Haynes collaborated with a slew of jazz legends including Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, spanning various jazz styles from swing to bebop, fusion, and avant-garde.
Born in 1925 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, Haynes began playing jazz professionally as a teenager in Boston. His early career saw him perform with swing-era bands led by Sabby Lewis, Frankie Newton, and Felix Barboza. In 1945, Haynes moved to New York, where he joined Louis Armstrong's big band and played with saxophonist Lester Young. By the 1950s, he had earned the nickname "Snapcrackle" for his agile and dynamic drumming. In the mid-1950s, he toured globally with jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan and later substituted for Elvin Jones in John Coltrane's quartet, while continuing to collaborate with artists like Stan Getz and Eric Dolphy.
Haynes adapted to the evolution of jazz from bebop to post-bop, playing on key Blue Note albums by Andrew Hill and Jackie McLean. He continued performing and recording throughout his career, including into the 2010s.
He released albums as a bandleader, including "Out of the Afternoon" (1962), and formed the Hip Ensemble in the late 1960s. He received Grammy nominations for "Fountain of Youth" (2004) and "Whereas" (2007), earning a lifetime achievement Grammy in 2012. Haynes also appeared in the 2008 "Grand Theft Auto IV" video game and performed at New York's Blue Note until the pandemic, with his final performance there at age 94.
Haynes is survived by his sons Craig and Graham, who is a cornetist recognized for his contributions to nu-jazz, and his grandson, the drummer Marcus Gilmore.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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