Sonny Rollins Interview (page: 7 / 8) Greatest Living Jazz Soloist	Print Interview

How do you measure your own success, your sense of achievement? What does achievement mean to you?

Sonny Rollins: Well, it means the ability to stay in a good hotel, to not worry a lot about financial things. I am not a big movie star. I am not in that category, but I am able to put food on the table. Success enables me to do that. I am not a person that wants a lot of those things. I am not a materialistic person, so it is easy for me to satisfy those things really. Nevertheless, I know there are people who find it difficult economically sometimes. So success probably means that. It doesn't mean as much because I am still searching for a deeper expression.

I don't feel myself completely satisfied, I mean as a success. In the material way, I am known, some people know me, and life is maybe a little bit easier. Like in the little town I live in, in Upstate New York, I have been getting a lot of publicity and everybody up there knows. I have blown my cover. Everybody is, "Oh gee, Sonny!" People may treat me a little better. "Wow! This guy is somebody!" But you know, I wanted to be a perfect individual.

Get the Flash Player to see this video. I am a spiritual person to the extent that I understand what life is about, how difficult it is, how difficult it is. How difficult it is for me to kind of be the person I want to be, better habits, better eating habits, better exercise habits, better Golden Rule habits towards other people. All these things, according to my spiritual belief, is important for my development of my soul, so to speak. I mean I don't want to get too esoteric here, but this is what is important to me. So, that's what I am trying to do, that's what I want.

That's the hardest thing, for people to take care of themselves and not overeat, or do these little things. We know the difference between right and wrong. We know that inside, even though we disregard it. This is the struggle of life, to be better people. That's how I figured out what life is all about. This is what I am trying to do. Life is an opportunity, but the hardest battle is with ourselves. That is what I realize, and that's what I am doing.

As an artist, how do you know when you reach that level of expression that you are searching for?

Sonny Rollins: There are certain concerts that I play, performances when I do feel that I have reached the higher level. When that happens as a normality rather than rarely, then I will feel that I am there. Then there will probably be something else I need to do, but I do feel that I am getting closer to more of a complete expression. It's a reachable goal, it is not something which is never going to happen, but that doesn't mean that will be the end. There will always be something else to do. I think I can get to a better place.

When bright young people come to you for advice, what do you say to them?

Sonny Rollins: I would say that they have to love what they are doing. Never mind the material. A lot of people come to me -- a lot of kids -- "Gee, Sonny. What should I practice? How can I get to be a successful musician?" You have to love what you are doing, and if you are not hurting anybody or harming anybody else, that's it. Just stay on that path. If you are looking for money for material success, I don't know. There is no advice, because I don't want to think like that, because I don't believe that's the meaning of life. I am not a materialist, I don't believe in consumerism and all this stuff.

Get the Flash Player to see this video. If a young person that's a scientist, or wants to be a musician, wants to be a painter, sculptor, and you love it, then, give yourself to it, that's all. This is the only way to do it, that's its own reward really. And if you succeed, I don't know. It's a matter of what you just said, "What is success?" I don't know, but giving yourself to something you believe in, that is success. So I would tell people to really get with what you are doing, with abandon, do your thing and really want to do it, and believe in it, and block out the rest of the world, because you are the world. You are the world, not these other people around you. Your project, your love, your art, that's the world. That's where you have to be.

[ Key to Success ] Passion

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