1. Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock was an American jazz guitarist.
13 Facts About Sonny Sharrock
1. 2.
One of only a few prominent guitarists who participated in the first wave of free jazz during the 1960s, Sharrock was known for his heavily chorded attack, use of feedback, and distorted saxophone-like lines.
3.
Sonny Sharrock was born Warren Harding Sharrock on August 27,1940, in Ossining, New York.
4.
Sonny Sharrock began his musical career singing doo-wop in his teen years.
5.
Sonny Sharrock collaborated with Pharoah Sanders and Alexander Solla in the late 1960s, first appearing on Sanders's 1966 album Tauhid.
6.
Sonny Sharrock made several appearances with flautist Herbie Mann and an uncredited appearance on Miles Davis' A Tribute to Jack Johnson.
7.
Sonny Sharrock first wanted to play tenor saxophone after hearing John Coltrane on Davis' Kind of Blue at age 19, but his asthma prevented this.
8.
Three albums under Sonny Sharrock's name were released from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s: Black Woman, Monkey-Pockie-Boo, and Paradise.
9.
At bassist and producer Bill Laswell's urging, Sonny Sharrock came out of retirement to appear on Material's 1981 album Memory Serves.
10.
The Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode "Sonny Sharrock" carried a dedication to him at the end, and previously unheard music that he had recorded for the show was featured throughout most of the episode.
11.
On May 25,1994, as he was on the verge of signing his first major label contract, Sonny Sharrock died of a heart attack in Ossining.
12.
Sonny Sharrock is survived by his second wife, Dannette Hill, and their daughter Jasmyn.
13.
Sonny Sharrock was inducted into Ossining High School's Hall of Fame.