Rahsaan roland kirk biography of william
This is a well documented
He was born Ronald Theodore Kirk on August 7, , in Columbus, OH, and became blind at age two. Two dreams compelled him to make name changes: the first, to transpose two letters and become Roland, the second, to take the name Rahsaan.Having spent almost all his When Rahsaan Roland Kirk stood before an audience in the s and seventies he resembled a fantastic, surreal, one-man band. A stritch--an instrument resembling a dented blunderbuss--hung well below his knees and a quasi saxophone called a manzello was usually wrapped around his neck at the ready.
Mr. Kirk was born Aug. Rahsaan Roland Kirk was one of the purest and most fascinating jazz artists and composers of the post-war period. Blind from birth, he was a soulful and experimental and romantic multi-instrumentalist who defied his own physical limitations to become the very essence of jazz in all its free but gifted glory.
Known for his captivating performances Rahsaan Roland Kirk (born Ronald Theodore Kirk; August 7, [1] – December 5, ), [2] known earlier in his career simply as Roland Kirk, was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute, and many other instruments. He was renowned for his onstage vitality, during which virtuoso improvisation was accompanied.