The statue honors Jazz musician John Coltrane. John Coltrane Statue in Downtown High PointĪ statue honoring one of High Point’s most acclaimed citizens now has a permanent home in downtown High Point. Although Coltrane visited friends a couple of times, he never returned to High Point after 1945. After graduating, Coltrane followed his mother north and started additional training on the saxophone. By this time, Coltrane’s mother had left High Point for work in Philadelphia. By his senior year, Coltrane’s musical talents earned him the vote of “most musical.” He also earned a lyre for his participation with the Boys’ Chorus.Īt the time Coltrane graduated from William Penn in 1943, there were few economic opportunities open to young African Americans. Later, Coltrane developed an interest in the saxophone, practicing with Charlie Haygood, a restaurant owner on Washington Street. Coltrane joined as a founding member of the school band under the direction of Grayce W Yokely. The success of the community band inspired William Penn principal Samuel Burford to start a school band in 1940. Steele’s community band, starting out on alto horn and later moving to clarinet. During this period without a lot of adult supervision, Coltrane found opportunities to explore the new sounds of jazz. After the death of his uncle in 1940, Coltrane’s mother and aunt took work at the Emerywood Country Club to support the family. During his free time, he enjoyed roller-skating with one of his friends Franklin Brower.Ĭoltrane’s situation changed drastically in the winter of 1938 - 1939 when his grandfather and father died within weeks of each other. In the seventh grade, Coltrane became a School Patrol Boy, helping other students navigate the difficult gully created with the recent lowering of the train tracks. Classmate, Rosetta Haywood recalled that John “was smart, and had a mischievous streak, but never got caught - he was so good and laughed at everything, that other people got in trouble, but not him.” Both Coltrane and his cousin, Mary Lyerly, were at the top of their class and participated in additional activities such as school plays and May Day festivals. Among his classmates, Coltrane was known as a shy boy who was neat as well as a sharp dresser. He experienced the limitations of living with segregation as well as the closeness of High Point’s African American community.Ĭoltrane showed his academic potential at Leonard Street School. Coltrane’s childhood was typical of many African American children in High Point. Blair, was a presiding elder of the AME Zion church, and his father was a tailor. He lived together with his maternal grandparents, his own parents, and sometimes his cousin’s family. John Coltrane’s family moved to High Point in 1926 when he was still an infant. Named “Jazzman of the Year” in 1965 by local and international critics, John Coltrane was just reaching his prime when he died July 17, 1967, at age 40, in Huntington, New York. He moved from band to band, appearing with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Earl Bostic, and Thelonious Monk.Īlthough he gained recognition while playing with Miles Davis from 1955 to 1960, Coltrane quickly developed a devoted following when he formed his own quartet in 1960. While at William Penn High School, he began playing the saxophone.Ĭoltrane moved to Philadelphia in 1943, where he studied music and made his professional debut. Coltrane spent the first 17 years of his life in High Point at 118 Underhill Street. His family moved to High Point when he was only 3 months old. John Coltrane was born in Hamlet, North Carolina, on September 23, 1926. There was no doubt that his childhood in High Point allowed his creative spirit to thrive. His incredible coordination allowed him to play the tones of chords in such rapid succession that they were referred to as “Coltrane’s sheets of sound.” Coltrane was innovative in his use of improvisation and arrhythmic music. He was known for his lush tone and masterful control of the upper register. Few dispute that John Coltrane was the greatest jazz saxophonist that the world has seen.
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