Stanley William Turrentine, also known as "Mr. T" or "The Sugar Man", (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.
Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family. His father, Thomas Turrentine, Sr., was a saxophonist with Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans, his mother played stride piano, and his older brother Tommy Turrentine also became a professional trumpet player.[1] He began his prolific career with blues and rhythm and blues bands, and was at first greatly influenced by Illinois Jacquet. In the 1950s he went on to play with the groups of Lowell Fulson, Earl Bostic, and at the turn of the decade, Max Roach.
He married the organist Shirley Scott in 1960 and played frequently with her. In the 1960s he started working with organist Jimmy Smith, and made many soul jazz recordings both with Smith and as a leader. In the 1970s, after his professional split and divorce from Scott, Turrentine turned to jazz fusion. He worked with Milt Jackson, Bob James, Richard Tee, Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, and Eric Gale, to name a few. He returned to soul jazz in the 1980s and into the 1990s. Turrentine lived in Ft. Washington, Maryland from the early 90s until his death.
Turrentine died of a stroke in New York City on September 12, 2000. He is buried in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery.[2]