Born on Oct. 10, 1917, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Thelonious Sphere Monk became one of the most influential figures in jazz history. Monk moved to Manhattan in 1922, where he began playing piano at age six. By 13, he had won the Apollo Theater’s amateur contest.
His first recordings as a bandleader came in 1947, and he gained international fame with albums like “Brilliant Corners” and “Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane.” Monk became one of only five jazz musicians to appear on the cover of Time magazine in 1964.
He passed away in 1982 at the age of 64, but his legacy endures through the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which continues to train new generations of musicians.
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