Photo: William P. Gottlieb / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on January 10, 1924, Max Roach was from Newland, North Carolina, United States. Max Roach was listed as a composer, jazz musician and university teacher. Death is recorded on August 16, 2007, at the age of 83. Schooling on record includes Boys High School and University of Massachusetts Amherst. Awards on record include MacArthur Fellows Program (1988), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), Paul Acket Award (1998) and 2 more.
My Take
Max Roach is, to me, a giant who lifted the drum kit from accompaniment to art. As a pioneer of bebop, he made rhythm the lead voice rather than mere timekeeping. The North Carolina native collected a MacArthur Fellowship in 1988, a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008, and France's Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres, and he taught at university, handing his soul to the next generation. He died in 2007, but the beats he carved still pulse today. I am deeply in love with a musician who poured intellect and poetry into the act of striking a drum. You simply cannot tell the story of jazz without him.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Max Roach
- Name (Japanese)
- マックス・ローチ
- Reading
- まっくす・ろーち
- Born
- January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rat
- Origin
- Newland, North Carolina, United States
- Occupation
- composer / jazz musician / university teacher / percussionist / bandleader
2. Background
- High school
- Boys High School
- University
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
Awards & achievements
- 1988 MacArthur Fellows Program
- 2008 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1998 Paul Acket Award
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- NEA Jazz Masters
3. Links
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max%20Roach
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%9E%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9%E3%83%BB%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%81
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175899
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. 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 Max Roach born?
Born January 10, 1924.
When did Max Roach die?
Died August 16, 2007, aged 83.
Where was Max Roach from?
Max Roach was from Newland, North Carolina, United States.
What did Max Roach do?
Max Roach worked as composer, jazz musician, university teacher, percussionist, bandleader.
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