Thelonious Monk Biography

Thelonious Sphere Monk was a famous American jazz artist, pianist, composer and performer. He was known for pioneering the complex compositions in jazz and majorly releasing his original symphonies. He is the second-most recorded jazz composer of all time and composed over 70 songs. Monk grew up in New York, where he lived for almost all of his life. He exhibited his natural genius in music, especially playing the piano, since he was a young kid and often won the local contests. In the beginning of his commercial career he sang in jazz clubs, performed in jazz concerts, played with small bands and did some sporadic recordings for Blue Note. But the moment his talent got recognition, he was signed by Riverside Records, which subsequently led to a contract deal with the Columbia Records. With Columbia Records, Monk tasted the real essence of commercial success and worked with the brand until mid 1970s. That was it for Monk’s jazz career as after that the dark clouds of mental illness overshadowed his capacity to create more music and perform. Nonetheless, he is still remembered as the leading artist in jazz and has been posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.