Biography for
Thelonious Monk More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

10 October 1917, Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA

Date of Death

17 February 1982, Englewood, New Jersey, USA (stroke)

Birth Name

Thelonious Sphere Monk

Nickname

Melodious
The High Priest of Bebop
The Mad Monk
The Genius of Modern Music

Height

6' 3" (1.91 m)

Spouse

Nellie Monk

(1947 - 17 February 1982) (his death) 2 children

Trade Mark

Long goatee, shades, eccentric hats

Trivia

Jazz musician.

Though a celebrity, he always kept his whereabouts public in the Manhattan (New York City) telephone directory.

Father of Thelonious Monk Jr. and Barbara Monk.

Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1980.

Born at 9:15 PM EST.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 567-570. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7055 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

His band's music arranger was Hal Overton.

Personal Quotes

I don't believe in luck, good or bad. If a guy's good, he'll make it. If not, he won't.

All musicians are subconsciously mathematicians.

[When a jazz critic asked him what he thought of polls]: "I have a lot of respect for the Polish people, especially the way they can drink vodka."

It's always night, or we wouldn't need light.

I'm famous, ain't that a bitch.