“Rest in Peace”: Isiah Thomas Mourns Devastating Demise of 6x Grammy Awardee After Long Cancer Battle

The world of music mourns the loss of a saxophone legend who played a big part in it. David Sanborn passed away on May 12, at the age of 78 and the grief is not only palpable in the music industry. The celebrated saxophonist had fans across many fields, including in the NBA. Sanborn’s story was a heartwarming one, with the star having begun his nearly 60-year cherished journey as a way to battle polio at age 3. And his last few years weren’t the best, keeping him from his beloved instrument. Deeply stricken by the news, Isiah Thomas was among thousands who took to social media to pay their tributes.

Resharing the post from Sanborn’s official page, Zeke wrote, “Rest in peace @DavidSanborn Chicago Song.” The last bit is a reference to Sanborn’s 1987 track, “Chicago Song,” from the album A Change of Heart. That year, a pre-championship Bad Boy Zeke was in the prime of his NBA career in Detroit but his connection to his native Chicago couldn’t be forgotten.

The most unexpected crossover of the alto sax icon and the 2x NBA champion was a 1995 flick. After retiring, Zeke and a score of other NBA players like Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Laimbeer, Reggie Miller, and Tim Hardaway played themselves in accordance with Billy Crystal’s character as an NBA referee in Forget Paris. Among the real NBA broadcasters and coaches, David Sanborn was in the climax of the movie.

Sanborn is memorable for a lot more than that. With successes in jazz, pop, R&B, and other genres, he won six Grammy Awards among other honors. A statement from his camp read that he passed away on Sunday afternoon, “after an extended battle with prostate cancer complications.”

Sanborn was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 but continued to perform as much as he could. He was in the lineups of blues festivals at least until 2023. He was working on the Experience the Magic tour which had dates through 2025. At the same time, he had informed fans that he had been dealing with unbearable back pain that didn’t let him pick up his horn and had to cancel several shows. He subsequently underwent spinal surgery for stress fractures.

Though fans lost the last chance to see him perform live, his legacy undeniably lives on.

David Sanborn’s Chicago connection to Zeke

Missouri-born David Sanborn picked up his saxophone at the tender age of three as part of his recovery process from polio, focusing on breathing. Inspired by the Jazz movement in Chicago, he took to music like fish to water. He went on to study music at Northwestern and the University of Iowa.

After playing with the Butterfield Blues Band and Woodstock, he rose to fame performing with another Grammy icon, Stevie Wonder. They recorded Wonder’s Talking Book album and toured together. He’d then go on to perform with The Rolling Stones and David Bowie. The most memorable of his songs that became an earworm of its own was “All I need is you,” released in 1981 and won him his first Grammy.

In March 2024, he was honored in St Louis for his lifetime achievement in jazz. He inspired many to pick up the sax and left an indelible mark on the music industry.