Photo: None listed / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on June 20, 1928 in Los Angeles, California, United States, Eric Dolphy was a composer, clarinetist and saxophonist. Eric Dolphy died on June 29, 1964, aged 36. Education on record includes Susan Miller Dorsey High School.
My Take
Eric Dolphy is one of those musicians who genuinely makes you stop and rethink what a wind instrument is even capable of. Born in Los Angeles in 1928, he tore through alto sax, bass clarinet, and flute with a voice so alien and expressive it still sounds like it arrived from some parallel future. The bass clarinet in particular — an instrument most people treat as an afterthought — became something entirely new in his hands, squawking and sighing and singing in ways nobody had imagined before. His work on records like Out to Lunch and his sessions with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane cemented him as a cornerstone of avant-garde jazz. The tragedy is he died in Berlin in June 1964, just nine days past his 36th birthday, reportedly from undiagnosed diabetes — impossibly young for someone who had so clearly barely started.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Eric Dolphy
- Name (Japanese)
- エリック・ドルフィー
- Reading
- えりっく・どるふぃー
- Born
- June 20, 1928 – June 29, 1964
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Occupation
- composer / clarinetist / saxophonist / jazz musician / recording artist
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Gemini / Dragon
2. Background
- High school
- Susan Miller Dorsey High School
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Eric Dolphy born?
Eric Dolphy was born on June 20, 1928.
When did Eric Dolphy die?
Eric Dolphy died on June 29, 1964, aged 36.
Where was Eric Dolphy from?
Eric Dolphy was from Los Angeles, California, United States.
What did Eric Dolphy do?
Eric Dolphy worked as composer, clarinetist, saxophonist, jazz musician, recording artist.
Which high school did Eric Dolphy attend?
Eric Dolphy attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School.
Composer — see all → · Clarinetist — see all → · More people from the United States → · More people born on June 20 →