John Coltrane, Role Model for Today's Celebrities

Newsday has a wonderful look back at the life and achievements of John Coltrane during the summer that marks the 40th anniversary of his death. Of particular note is the way he frames the article in the opening paragraph:

Given the enormous attention paid in recent weeks to the arrests of several troubled celebrities, from actress Lindsay Lohan to rappers Ja Rule and Foxy Brown, a milestone for a significant figure from the entertainment world has been largely glossed over. This summer marks 40 years since jazz legend John Coltrane passed away at the age of 40.

And while Coltrane is credited with musical contributions that influenced everyone from Carlos Santana and Fela Kuti to The Doors and Wynton Marsalis, his life is equally noteworthy for the indelible lessons it still provides.

Please take the time to read the entire article, as I couldn't do it any justice by summarizing or quoting further, other than to say that without question, John Coltrane is one of cornerstones of innovation in the history of jazz music, and to reaffirm his importance as an artist, musician, and human being is always time well spent. As a part-time hip-hop listener, I was excited to read the following:

While the hip-hop industry is being denounced for promoting artists who glorify pseudo-gangster narratives, it's worth noting that the latest album from one of the genre's most progressive voices, Common, whose lyrics regularly mention Coltrane, ranks among the top 10 albums on the Billboard charts.

Kudos to writer Curtis Stephen and Newsday.