Who Is Stan Getz? Age, Biography and Wiki
Stan Getz was born on February 2, 1927, and passed away on June 6, 1991. As of 2025, he would have been 98 years old. Getz was a prominent American jazz saxophonist known for his smooth and lyrical style, especially in the bossa nova genre. Over his illustrious career, he participated in several distinguished collaborations and won multiple Grammy Awards. His work continues to influence new generations of musicians.
| Occupation | Saxophonist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | February 2, 1927 |
| Age | 64 Years |
| Birth Place | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 6 June, 1991 |
| Died Place | N/A |
Popularity
Stan Getz's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though Stan Getz stood at around 6 feet tall, his weight fluctuated during his lifetime, typically ranging between 170 to 190 pounds depending on his health, performances, and lifestyle choices. Getz was known for his slender physique and charismatic demeanor, which often complemented his profound artistry.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Stan Getz was married several times during his life. His most notable relationship was with his second wife, Beverly Getz, with whom he had two children. Despite challenges in his personal life, including struggles with substance abuse, Getz maintained a strong connection with his family. In 2025, when discussing his relationships, fans often reflect on his marriages rather than a current boyfriend or girlfriend, as he has been historically recognized for being a devoted family man.
The Getz family first settled in Philadelphia, but during the Great Depression the family moved to New York City, seeking better employment opportunities. Getz worked hard in school, receiving straight A's, and finished sixth grade close to the top of his class.
Getz's major interest was in musical instruments and he played a number of them including the harmonica that he acquired at the age of twelve, before his father bought him his first saxophone, a $35 alto saxophone, when he was thirteen.
He moved on quickly to play all other saxophones, as well as the clarinet, but fell in love with the sound of the tenor saxophone, and began practicing eight hours a day while studying with Bill Shiner, a well-known saxophone teacher in the Bronx. According to Getz, he only had about six months of lessons and never studied music theory or harmony.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his passing in 1991, Stan Getz’s net worth was estimated to be around $3 million, a considerable sum for a jazz musician of his era. Taking into account his extensive discography, successful albums, and ongoing royalties, his legacy continues to generate income, maintaining an estimated net worth of approximately $5 million in 2025, thanks to ongoing sales, streaming, and licensing of his music.
After Getz left The Second Herd, he was able to launch his solo career. in 1950, he was a guest soloist with Horace Silver's trio at the Club Sundown in Hartford, Connecticut. He subsequently hired them for touring gigs, gaining Silver his earliest national exposure.
For an unknown period, he didn't pay Silver, using the money due the pianist to buy heroin. Silver finally left in June 1952. In the same period, Getz performed with pianists Al Haig and Duke Jordan and drummers Roy Haynes and Max Roach, as well as bassist Tommy Potter, all of whom had worked with Charlie Parker.
Guitarists Jimmy Raney and Johnny Smith were also associated with the saxophonist in this period. He enhanced his profile with his featured performance on Johnny Smith's version of the song "Moonlight in Vermont", recorded in 1952, which became a hit single and stayed on the charts for months.
A DownBeat readers' poll voted the single as the second best jazz record of 1952. The later album Moonlight in Vermont, reconfigured from two 10-inch LPs (RLP-410 and RLP-413) for a 12-inch release (LP-2211), was issued in 1956.
By 1956, Ben Selvin, bandleader and record producer known as the Dean of Recorded Music, featured Getz's recordings on national radio networks as part of the RCA Thesaurus transcriptions library.
Career, Business, and Investments
Stan Getz’s career spanned several decades, starting as a bebop musician in the 1940s and later revolutionizing the jazz landscape with his bossa nova hits, including the iconic "The Girl from Ipanema." Apart from his performances, he was known for his innovative style and significant collaborations with other musicians such as João Gilberto and Astrud Gilberto. His music has been archived and celebrated, contributing to his ongoing impact in the jazz genre, therapeutic arts, and music education.
Getz attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx. In 1941, he was accepted into the All-City High School Orchestra of New York City. This gave him a chance to receive private, free tutoring from the New York Philharmonic's Simon Kovar, a bassoon player. He also continued playing the saxophone at dances and bar mitzvahs.
He eventually dropped out of school in order to pursue his musical career but was later sent back to the classroom by the school system's truancy officers.
Social Network
Even decades after his passing, Stan Getz's influence remains strong on social media platforms dedicated to music lovers and jazz aficionados. His fans create pages and forums that celebrate his work, showcase live performances, and discuss his impact on the jazz world. While Getz himself was not active on the modern social networks like Twitter or Instagram, his music continues to be shared and appreciated by newer audiences through these platforms.
In 1943, at the age of 16, he joined Jack Teagarden's band and, because of his youth, he became Teagarden's ward. Getz also played along with Nat King Cole and Lionel Hampton. A period based in Los Angeles with Stan Kenton was brief. Following a comment from Kenton that his main influence, Lester Young, was too simple, Getz quit.
Education
Stan Getz was a self-taught musician who honed his skills through practice and performing with other jazz greats. His early training came from listening to swing bands, and he later absorbed influences from the bebop era, with his music reflecting the complex harmonies and improvisations prevalent during that time. While he did not attend formal music school, his natural talent and relentless pursuit of musical excellence allowed him to become one of the most celebrated saxophonists in history.
In the mid-1980s, Getz worked regularly in the San Francisco Bay area and taught at Stanford University as an artist-in-residence at the Stanford Jazz Workshop until 1988. In 1986, he was inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame. During 1988, Getz worked with Huey Lewis and the News on their Small World album.
He played the extended solo on part 2 of the title track, which became a minor hit single.
