Died On This Date (June 22, 1982) Sonny Stitt / Jazz Great
themusicsover Edward “Sonny” Stitt
February 2, 1924 – June 22, 1982
Sonny Stitt was an influential jazz saxophonist who amassed an incredible catalog of over 100 albums over his career. He is considered one of the greatest musicians of the bebop and hard bop sub genres, often compared to Lester Young and Charlie Parker. He began his career during the early ’40s, soon working with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, and later, Billy Eckstine, Dexter Gordon, Bud Powell, and Miles Davis. His first album came out in 1950, and he continued recording right up until he died of a heart attack on June 22, 1982.
What You Should Own
Charles Smith was co-founder of and guitarist for the great disco/funk group, Kool & The Gang. Along with the other members of the group, Smith’s background was in jazz, but married it with funk, dance, R&B and pop to become one of the biggest acts of the ’70s thanks to such hits as “Jungle Boogie,” “Hollywood Swinging,” “Ladies Night,” and “Celebration.” Smith is credited for writing or co-writing some of the group’s biggest hits. He died after a long undisclosed illness on June 20, 2006.
