My Take
Grover Washington Jr. was one of those rare musicians who could make an entire room stop and listen without ever raising the volume. Growing up in Buffalo and learning saxophone almost before he could properly hold one, he spent years woodshedding in Army bands before hitting the studio — and when he finally did, records like Mister Magic and Winelight showed the world what soul-jazz could sound like when it had genuine heart. His collaboration with Bill Withers on Just the Two of Us became one of the most instantly recognizable saxophone moments in pop history, and it still sounds perfect today. He had chops that could satisfy hardcore jazz fans while remaining genuinely warm and accessible to everyone else, which is a much harder trick to pull off than it sounds. Losing him at 56, collapsing right after a television taping, felt brutally sudden — the music he might still have made haunts me a little whenever I put on Winelight on a late night.
Overview
Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist and Grammy Award winner. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders and legends of the smooth jazz genre. He wrote some of his material and later became an arranger and producer.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Grover Washington Jr.
- Name (Japanese)
- グローヴァー・ワシントン・ジュニア
- Reading
- ぐろーゔぁー・わしんとん・じゅにあ
- Born
- December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Goat
- Origin
- Buffalo, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / saxophonist / jazz musician / recording artist / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- East High School
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.