“I know that there are bad forces, forces that bring suffering to others and misery to the world. I want to be the opposite force. I want to be the force which is truly for good.“
- Name: John Coltrane
- Born: September 23, 1926
- Died: July 17, 1967
- From: Hamlet, North Carolina
- Occupation: Musician
- Works: John Coltrane
- Awards: Commemorative Postage Stamp, United States Postal Service (1995), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), Grammy Hall of Fame, 1999, “My Favorite Things” was included in the National Endowment for the Arts list of 360 Songs of the Century (2001), Pulitzer Prize for Special Citation for his lifetime of influential, innovative work (2007)
- Fun Facts: When Coltrane was 18 years old, he moved to Philadelphia to study music at the Ornstein School of Music. Coltrane was drafted into the navy in 1945 and played the sax in the navy band. He continued studying music after that and played in various bars and clubs in Philadelphia.
John Coltrane was, and still is, an influential jazz musician known for stepping outside the cliches of jazz improvisation with new and different harmonies. Though Coltrane died at 40 years of age because of complications from liver cancer, he released 25 albums throughout his life. Coltrane played with jazz icons, notably Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk, and by the 1960s, he was a highly sought-after saxophonist who headlined various nightclubs and festivals. A Love Supreme (1964) is regarded as his finest album, and it was nominated for two Grammy awards.
Handout
To download the Handout:
- Click on the image
- Right-click and select Save Image As…
- Write a description on the line and decorate.
- Cut out and use for a selfie to share on our social media page.
- Download a card and envelope template and write about an idea this leader inspires.
- Check out more resources and ways to celebrate MLK can be found on these links as well as our official Day of Service opportunity to volunteer.
This ASI Special event is an ongoing volunteer-led project made by people like you, using multiple educational sources regularly being revised and updated. We would love your assistance if you or your group would like to get involved, learn more here.