John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer, and the husband of Alice Coltrane. Though he was active before 1955, his prime years were between 1955 and 1967, during which time he reshaped modern jazz and influenced generations of other musicians.

Coltrane's recording rate was astonishingly prolific: he recorded about fifty recordings as a leader in these twelve years, and appeared on many more led by other musicians.

Throughout his career Coltrane's music took on an increasingly spiritual dimension that would color his legacy. He passed away from liver cancer in Huntington Hospital, Long Island, New York.

Along with tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Sonny Rollins, Coltrane fundamentally altered expectations for the instrument.

Coltrane received a posthumous Special Citation from the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2007 for his "masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship and iconic centrality to the history of jazz."