Rahsaan Roland Kirk | |
|---|---|
 Kirk performing in 1972 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ronald Theodore Kirk |
| Born | August 7, 1935 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | December 5, 1977 (aged 42) Bloomington, Indiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, hard bop, soul jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, arranger, bandleader |
| Instrument(s) | Tenor saxophone, clarinet, stritch, manzello, nose flute, flute, cor anglais, keyboards, percussion |
| Years active | 1955–1977 |
| Labels | King, Chess, Prestige, Mercury, Limelight, Verve, Atlantic, Warner Bros. |
| Formerly of | Charles Mingus, Quincy Jones |
Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, 1935[1] – December 5, 1977),[2] known earlier in his career simply as Roland Kirk, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality, during which virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting, and the ability to play several instruments simultaneously.
- ^ Kernfeld, Barry. "Kirk, Roland." The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, 2nd ed. Ed. Barry Kernfeld. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Retrieved February 1, 2009-. "The year of his birth has been widely given as 1936, but his birth certificate gives 1935 and confirms Ronald, not Roland."
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1385. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.