USA US drummer Roy Haynes dies at the age of 99
The legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes has died at the age of 99. His career shaped modern jazz for decades.
13.11.2024, 13:50
SDA
The renowned US drummer Roy Haynes has died at the age of 99. According to reports in US newspapers, based on statements from his daughter and a spokesman, Haynes died on Tuesday in Nassau County, New York, after a short illness.
Roy Haynes, born in 1925, was a formative figure in modern jazz and influenced every significant development since the bebop era. The New York Times described his drumming as having a "penetrating clarity" and an infectious energy that left his style unchanged for decades.
Collaboration with jazz legends
In a career spanning over 70 years, Haynes has worked with numerous jazz greats. His partners included tenor saxophonist Lester Young, guitarist Pat Metheny and singers Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. He was involved in the recording of classics such as "Morpheus" by Miles Davis and "Anthropology" by Charlie Parker. In total, he can be heard on more than 600 albums, as the "Washington Post" reports. In 1995, he was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Award for his life's work.
A life for music
Even in old age, Haynes remained faithful to the stage and continued to record music. In 2008, he also took on a speaking role in the video game "Grand Theft Auto IV", where he appeared as the presenter of a jazz radio station. The station advertised tongue-in-cheek with the slogan: "Jazz from a time before it became elevator music".
