STITT, EDWARD (SONNY
). Jazz saxophonist ( in Boston, Massachusetts). He came from a musical family: his father was
Edward Boatner
, the composer; his mother was a piano and organ teacher; and his brother Clifford and sister Adelaide both became concert musicians. He grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and took the surname of his step-father. He began piano study at the age of seven, then later changed to clarinet and saxophone. His early professional experiences were with groups...