Sonny Sharrock Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Sonny Sharrock

Background information
Birth name	Warren Harding Sharrock
Born	(1940-08-27)August 27, 1940 Ossining, New York, U.S.
Died	May 25, 1994(1994-05-25) (aged 53) Ossining, New York, U.S.
Genres	Free jazz, punk jazz, experimental, rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1966–1994
Associated acts	Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis, Herbie Mann, Peter Brötzmann, Linda Sharrock, Last Exit, Machine Gun, Bill Laswell

Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock (born August 27, 1940 – died May 25, 1994) was an American jazz guitarist. He was known for his unique and powerful guitar playing style. He was married to singer Linda Sharrock, and they performed and recorded music together.

Sonny Sharrock was one of the few guitarists who played free jazz in the 1960s. Free jazz is a style of jazz music that gives musicians a lot of freedom to improvise. Sharrock was known for his strong guitar sounds, loud feedback, and using a special technique called "sustain" to make his guitar sound like a saxophone. He also used a slide in his early music to create interesting sounds.

About Sonny Sharrock
Honoring Sonny Sharrock
Music Albums
- As the Leader of the Band
- As a Guest Musician
Images for kids
See also

About Sonny Sharrock

Early Life and Music Career

Sonny Sharrock was born in Ossining, New York, in the United States. When he was a teenager, he started his music journey by singing doo wop songs. Doo wop is a style of rhythm and blues music.

In the late 1960s, he worked with other musicians like Pharoah Sanders. He first appeared on Sanders's album, Tauhid, in 1966. He also played with flautist Herbie Mann many times. He even played on Miles Davis's album A Tribute to Jack Johnson, though he wasn't officially credited.

When he was 19, Sonny heard John Coltrane play the tenor saxophone on the radio. He was so inspired that he wanted to play the saxophone himself. However, he had asthma, which made it hard for him to play wind instruments. So, he chose to play the guitar instead.

From the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, Sonny Sharrock released three albums under his own name. These included Black Woman and Monkey-Pockie-Boo. He also released an album called Paradise with his wife, Linda.

Returning to Music

After the album Paradise, Sonny Sharrock took a break from music for most of the 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, he worked as a driver and also helped care for children with special needs.

In 1981, producer Bill Laswell encouraged Sharrock to return to music. He appeared on the album Memory Serves by the band Material. Starting in 1986, Sharrock became a member of a punk/jazz band called Last Exit. This band included Laswell, saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, and drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson.

In the late 1980s, Sonny Sharrock played a lot with a band called Machine Gun. He also led his own band. With Bill Laswell's help, Sharrock's music career really took off again. He mentioned in an interview that he made seven albums in five years after not making any for twelve years!

Bill Laswell produced many of Sharrock's later albums. These included Guitar, which was just him playing solo guitar. He also released Seize the Rainbow, which had a "metal-influenced" sound. One of his most popular albums was High Life. Sonny said this was his favorite band ever, with Abe Speller on percussion, Lance Carter on drums, Charles Baldwin on bass, and David Snider on keyboards.

His album Ask the Ages was also very well-received. It featured John Coltrane's bandmates, Pharoah Sanders and Elvin Jones. One song from this album, "Who Does She Hope to Be?", reminded people of the music that first inspired him to play. Many people consider Ask the Ages to be one of Sharrock's best works.

Sonny Sharrock is also known for creating the music for the Cartoon Network show Space Ghost Coast to Coast. This was one of the last projects he worked on before he passed away. An episode of the show, titled "Sharrock," was dedicated to him and featured music he had recorded for the show.

His Passing

On May 25, 1994, Sonny Sharrock sadly passed away from a heart attack in his hometown of Ossining, New York. He was 53 years old. He was about to sign a big record deal, which would have been the first of his career.

Honoring Sonny Sharrock

French guitarist Noël Akchoté released an album in 2004 called Sonny II. This album featured songs written, performed, and inspired by Sonny Sharrock.

In August 2010, a street in Ossining, New York, was officially renamed "Sonny Sharrock Way" to honor him. A sign was put up on October 2, 2010. Sonny Sharrock was also added to the Hall of Fame at Ossining High School.