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Not claimed by Sonny Rollins

Sonny Rollins has not joined FLAPSS and has not endorsed it. This page is a reference record assembled from published interviews and public remarks. Every answer below is a direct quotation with the source and date shown next to it.

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Sonny Rollins

Jazz tenor saxophonist and composer

United States

Arts and letters

5 answers

Question What is the hardest thing that has happened to you, and what did you carry out of it? Failure & regret read 34 other answers →
I went through some really terrible times. I don’t know whether I should really even mention it, but you mentioned that I had to go to prison and all that stuff. I was in a state where they had me in a straitjacket at one time. Can you understand what it would feel like to be in a straitjacket? I know. I couldn’t either, but I was, and it was brought about by sort of a drug psychosis in prison. I mean I just went completely… But it was tough, it was tough. I mean at that time they put you in — there’s a place in New York they used to call the Tombs. You’ve probably heard of it. I mean it was like a living tomb, with all the people. So I was there, and the withdrawal — physical symptoms, which were unbelievable.
Recorded Academy of Achievement (achievement.org) source ↗

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