Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive

snare drum The snare drum (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often u ...

sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career spanning more than eight decades, he played swing,

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

, jazz fusion and avant-garde jazz. He is considered to be a pioneer of jazz drumming. Haynes led bands, including the Hip Ensemble. His albums ''Fountain of Youth'' and ''Whereas'' were nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

. He was inducted into the '' Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1999.

Career

Haynes was born in the Roxbury neighborhood of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, to Gustavas and Edna Haynes, immigrants from

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

. His younger brother, Michael E. Haynes, became an important leader in the African American community in Massachusetts, working with Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement, representing Roxbury in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

and for forty years serving as pastor of the Twelfth Baptist Church. King had been a member at the church while he pursued his doctoral degree at

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. Haynes made his professional debut in 1942 in Boston and began his full-time professional career in 1945. From 1947 to 1949 he worked with saxophonist

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

, and from 1949 to 1952 was a member of saxophonist

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

's quintet. He also recorded at the time with pianist Bud Powell and saxophonists

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist. Biography Early years The youngest of four children, Gray was born in Oklahoma City. He spent his early childhood years in Oklahoma b ...

and Stan Getz. From 1953 to 1958, he toured with singer

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

and recorded with her. In the 1950s he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle". In the 1960s, he was a member of the

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

Quartet, often working as a sub for drummer

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such albums as ''My Fa ...

. In 1990, he co-led the album '' Question and Answer'' with

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...

. Haynes led bands including the Hip Ensemble. A tribute song was recorded by Jim Keltner and

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

, and he appeared on stage with

the Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...

in 2006 and Page McConnell of Phish in 2008. "Age seems to have just passed him by," Watts observed. "He's eighty-three and in 2006 he was voted Best Contemporary Jazz Drummer Modern Drummer'' magazine'''s'' readers' poll">n '' Modern Drummer'' magazine'''s'' readers' poll He's amazing." Roy Haynes at Newport Jazz Festival

In 2008, Haynes voiced a DJ for the fictional classic jazz radio station, Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 on the open-world video game ''

Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San And ...

''. His last album, ''Roy-Alty'', was released in 2011.

Personal life

His son Graham Haynes is a cornetist; another son Craig Holiday Haynes and grandson Marcus Gilmore are both drummers. Haynes was known to celebrate his birthdays on stage and in later years at the Blue Note Jazz Club in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. His 95th birthday celebration in 2020 was canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. On November 12, 2024, following a short illness, Haynes died at age 99 in Nassau County, New York, on the South Shore of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

Awards and honors

''A Life in Time –'' ''The Roy Haynes Story'' was named by ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' magazine as one of the Best Boxed Sets of 2007 and was nominated for an award by the Jazz Journalist's Association. WKCR-FM, New York, surveyed Haynes's career in 301 hours of programming, January 11–23, 2009. ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'' named Roy Haynes one of the best-dressed men in America in 1960, along with Fred Astaire,

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American actor often referred to as the "King of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". He appeared in more than 60 Film, motion pictures across a variety of Film genre, genres dur ...

, and Cary Grant. In 1994 Haynes was awarded the Danish Jazzpar Prize, and in 1996 the French government knighted him with the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's top literary and artistic honor. In 1995, the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts named Haynes as a NEA Jazz Master. Haynes received honorary doctorates from the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

(1991), and the New England Conservatory of Music (2004), as well as a Peabody Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the Peabody Institute of The

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

, in 2012. He was inducted into the ''

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' magazine Hall of Fame in 2004. On October 9, 2010, he was awarded the

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF), headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, is one of six Non-profit organization, not-for-profit Regional arts council (RAO), regional arts organizations funded by the National Endowment for ...

's BNY Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. In 2001, Haynes's album '' Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker'' was nominated for the 44th Annual Grammy Awards as Best Jazz Instrumental Album. On December 22, 2010, Haynes was named a recipient of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (NARAS), doing business as The Recording Academy, is an American Learned society, learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is widely kno ...

, and he received the award at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception of the

54th Annual Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted ...

on February 11, 2012. In 2019, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jazz Foundation of America at the 28th Annual Loft Party.

Selected discography

* ''Busman's Holiday'' ( EmArcy, 1955) * '' Jazz Abroad'' ( Mercury, 1956) – recorded in 1953.

split album A split album (or split) is a music album that includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There are also singles and EPs of the same variety, which are often called "split singles" and "split EPs" respectively. Split albums differ from "v ...

with

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

. * '' We Three'' with

Paul Chambers Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969) was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop er ...

& Phineas Newborn ( New Jazz, 1959) – recorded in 1958 * '' Just Us'' (New Jazz, 1960) * '' Out of the Afternoon'' ( Impulse!, 1962) * '' Cracklin''' with Booker Ervin (New Jazz, 1963) * '' Cymbalism'' (New Jazz, 1963). * '' Hip Ensemble'' ( Mainstream, 1971) * '' Senyah'' (Mainstream, 1972) * '' Thank You Thank You'' (

Galaxy A galaxy is a Physical system, system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar medium, interstellar gas, cosmic dust, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek ' (), literally 'milky', ...

, 1977) * '' Vistalite'' (Galaxy, 1979) – recorded in 1977 * '' Birds of a Feather: A Tribute to Charlie Parker'' (Dreyfus Jazz, 2001) – Grammy-nominated album * ''Whereas'' (Dreyfus Jazz, 2006)

Compilations

* ''Fountain of Youth'' (Dreyfus Jazz, 2004) – Grammy-nominated album

References

External links

"Roy Haynes"
– at '' Drummerworld'', with many images and video links
"Roy Haynes The Greatest Drummer of All Time"
– interview at jazzreview.com, March 2004

– concert review at trinimansblog.blogspot.com
"Roy Haynes"
– interview for the NAMM Oral History Program, November 8, 2008 * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haynes, Roy 1925 births 2024 deaths 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians African-American drummers American jazz bandleaders American jazz drummers American male drummers American male jazz musicians American people of Barbadian descent Bebop drummers Circle (American band) members DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members Drummers from Boston EmArcy Records artists Galaxy Records artists Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Hard bop drummers Impulse! Records artists Jazz musicians from Massachusetts Mainstream Records artists People from Roxbury, Boston Prestige Records artists Verve Records artists NEA Jazz Masters