The Resume

(October 29, 1925-March 23, 1985)
Born in Inglewood, California
Birth name was John Haley Sims
Tenor saxophonist
Played with the bands of Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, and Gerry Mulligan
Recorded the albums 'The Brothers' (with Stan Getz and Al Cohn, 1949), 'The Modern Art of Jazz' (1956), 'From A to Z' (with Al Cohn, 1956), 'New Beat Bossa Nova' (1962), 'Waiting Game' (1966), 'Body and Soul' (with Al Cohn, 1973), 'Basie & Zoot' (with Count Basie, 1973), 'Warm Tenor' (1979), 'Art 'n' Zoot' (with <30436>Art Pepper<30436>, 1981), and 'On the Korner' (1983)
Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1992)

Why he might be annoying:

He dropped out of high school to join a jazz band.
After quitting Stan Kenton's band (1953), he had trouble finding paying gigs and had to support himself as a housepainter.
He was a heavy drinking until his failing liver prompted a doctor to warn him to 'give up drinking or give up living.'
He was once so drunk on stage that he threw up into the horn of his sax, then resumed playing.

Why he might not be annoying:

His nickname Zoot was also appropriated for the sax-playing muppet in Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
He played the sax solo on Phoebe Snow's hit single 'Poetry Man.'
Fellow saxophonist Benny Carter said, 'Zoot is the outstanding refutation of the negative theory that whites can't play jazz. And a beautiful fellow to boot.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 85]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [October] (Ranked: 10291925)
• I Covered 'Send in the Clowns'
• I Did Not Graduate High School [N-S]
• I Died in 1985 (Ranked: 59)
• I Have Lung Cancer
• Jazz Artists
• Joy of Sax(ophone)
• My Nickname is Part of My Name [M-Z]
• Profiles 53251-53500 (Ranked: 53386)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying