McCoy Tyner, legendary jazz pianist, dies aged 81

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He was part of John Coltrane’s groundbreaking ‘60s quartet

McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner, photographed in 1960. (Image credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Legendary jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, who played in John Coltrane’s quartet in the early ‘60s, has died at the age of 81.

The news was announced on his Facebook page in a statement.

Tyner was born in Philadelphia in 1938 and began playing piano at the age of 13. He featured on classic Coltrane albums My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme, among others, and toured extensively with his quartet between 1961 and 1965.

After becoming disillusioned with his role in Coltrane’s outfit, he became a bandleader in his own right and embarked on a solo career, releasing a string of albums for Blue Note.

Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.