The Life of STANLEY W TURRENTINE

A Musical Legend from Pittsburgh

Stanley Turrentine was an original - one of a kind! He was born into a musical family as his father, Thomas Turrentine, played tenor saxophone with the famous Savoy Sultans, his mother played piano and brother Tommy played bop trumpet while brother Marvin played drums. At the age of 11, young Stanley began training on the cello but then switched to tenor saxophone with hours of practice guided by his father.

Playing tenor saxophone, Stanley Turrentine mixed Jazz with blues, rock, rhythm and blues and pop. He formed a band with his brother to play their first professional gig at the Perry Bar while still in high school. At 16 he began traveling with a band, went on to rhythm and blues groups and to the big band of Earl Bostic featuring the pianist Ray Charles. In the 1960's, Turrentine had success with albums such as "Stan the Man' Turrentine", "Up at Minton's" and "Never let me go." His biggest hit was his own composition "Sugar" which brought him fame outside of the jazz world. All in all, he recorded about 50 albums.

When he collapsed he was about to close out an engagement at the "Blue Note Club" in New York and perform the Ann Arbor Jazz and Blues Festival in Ann Arbor Michigan.

His Last recording was in 1999 "Do you have any Sugar."

Stanley Turrentine began his legendary musical career in Pittsburgh and came back to his roots for his final journey. He died at a New York City hospital on September 12, 2000 (66 years old) just 2 days after suffering a stroke. At the interment site on September 19th, the sound of taps was heard on a trumpet and the famous "Sugar" was played on the instrument which made Stanley Turrentine a legend - the saxophone.