--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I guess fortunate that I'm still around…" description: "\"I guess fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize I guess because you never can tell what musicians would be playing had they been around as long..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg" --- # I guess fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize I… ![“I guess fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize I guess because you never can tell what musicians would be playing had they been around as long as I have.” quote by Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg) > “I guess fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize I guess because you never can tell what musicians would be playing had they been around as long as I have.” [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The musician reflects on the uncertainty of future musical trends, emphasizing gratitude for longevity and the unpredictable nature of artistic relevance. **In simple terms:** He’s grateful to still be around, unsure what music would be like later. Key Takeaway Value present opportunities despite unknown futures. Themes gratitude uncertainty legacy music history Mood reflective hopeful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - jazz performances - teaching - recording sessions Key Concepts career longevity creative evolution historical perspective Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay relevant over time? - What role does chance play in artistic success? A Different Perspective Future trends may differ dramatically, making past relevance uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortunate/) [Guess Fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess-fortunate-4353905/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians/) [Musicians Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians-playing-280921/) [Playing Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-long-928112/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Tell Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-musicians-494876/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [What’d I tell you about musicians? That bad boy type will only break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/what-d-i-tell-you-about-musicians-that-bad-boy-type-will-only-break/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [I started off playing by ear, and being around a bunch of musicians and playing in the streets and in the different parades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-andrews/i-started-off-playing-by-ear-and-being-around-a-bunch-of-musicians/) [Troy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-andrews/) > [Even though I have often recorded alone, I still feel the best music is made by musicians playing off each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fogerty/even-though-i-have-often-recorded-alone-i-still-feel-the-best-music/) [John Fogerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fogerty/) > [It seems like bluegrass people have more great stories to tell than other musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-fogelberg/it-seems-like-bluegrass-people-have-more-great-stories-to-tell-than/) [Dan Fogelberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-fogelberg/) > [Through conducting, you express through your arms, through your face and even the body, what you want to tell, so the musicians of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andris-nelsons/through-conducting-you-express-through-your-arms-through-your-face/) [Andris Nelsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andris-nelsons/) > [As a composer you want to tell musicians two completely contradictory things. You want to say, "Play exactly what I wrote, but bring your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-muhly/as-a-composer-you-want-to-tell-musicians-two-completely-contradictory/) [Nico Muhly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-muhly/) > [I've been very fortunate that the pool of musicians that I know in L.A. are incredible musicians. After playing with cats for a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/i-ve-been-very-fortunate-that-the-pool-of-musicians-that-i-know-in-l/) [Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/) > [Great musicians are great musicians, whether they're playing a trombone or an electric guitar or a xylophone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stapleton/great-musicians-are-great-musicians-whether-they-re-playing-a/) [Chris Stapleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stapleton/) > [Musicians playing together, it's a conversation, and ideally I want our conversation to be really intriguing and interesting and beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-robinson/musicians-playing-together-it-s-a-conversation-and-ideally-i-want-our/) [Chris Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-robinson/) > [To me, groups of musicians playing together, not fighting each other, but playing a groove together is one of the most exciting things to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collins/to-me-groups-of-musicians-playing-together-not-fighting-each-other/) [Phil Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collins/) > [Musicians keep playing when the lights go out, when people are suffering, confused, or angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/musicians-keep-playing-when-the-lights-go-out-when-people-are/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I can't say enough good things about my band. I feel very fortunate that I found them when I did, very early in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/i-can-t-say-enough-good-things-about-my-band-i-feel-very-fortunate/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [I'm enjoying playing. As long as that continues, I'll carry on playing as long as I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anderson/i-m-enjoying-playing-as-long-as-that-continues-i-ll-carry-on-playing/) [James Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anderson/) > [I'm really not opposed to playing anything as long as it's a story that I want to tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-really-not-opposed-to-playing-anything-as-long-as-it-s-a-story/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [Right now I feel like playing as long as I can, As long as my body will allow me to play I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-peppers/right-now-i-feel-like-playing-as-long-as-i-can-as-long-as-my-body/) [Julius Peppers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-peppers/) ## More by Sonny Rollins > [I'm fortunate that I'm making a living at it now because I'm not equipped to do anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-m-fortunate-that-i-m-making-a-living-at-it-now-because-i-m-not/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [How ironic that the Negro, who more than any other people can claim America's culture as his own, is being persecuted and repressed; that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/how-ironic-that-the-negro-who-more-than-any-other-people-can-claim/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I'm now a legend, whether I want to be or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-m-now-a-legend-whether-i-want-to-be-or-not/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I enjoy playing clubs. I still enjoy the closeness of the nightclub venue. However, after a certain period of time and after playing around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-enjoy-playing-clubs-i-still-enjoy-the-closeness-of-the-nightclub/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Music represents nature. Nature represents life. Jazz represents nature. Jazz is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/music-represents-nature-nature-represents-life-jazz-represents-nature/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Improvisation is the ability to create something very spiritual, something of one's own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/improvisation-is-the-ability-to-create-something-very-spiritual/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Even the most jingoistic person would have to admit that even American cultural music comes from Europe. That's what classical music is, real European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/even-the-most-jingoistic-person-would-have-to-admit-that-even/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [...this is my dilemma. I'm a guy who makes things up as I go along, so nothing is ever finished - there are so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/this-is-my-dilemma-i-m-a-guy-who-makes-things-up-as-i-go-along-so/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Jazz is the type of music that can absorb so many things and still be jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/jazz-is-the-type-of-music-that-can-absorb-so-many-things-and-still-be/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [My mother came from St. Thomas. I heard that melody and all I did was actually adapt it. I made my adaptation of sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/my-mother-came-from-st-thomas-i-heard-that-melody-and-all-i-did-was/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I feel that L.A. has not always been my strongest base for support. That can be for various reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-feel-that-l-a-has-not-always-been-my-strongest-base-for-support/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [You had many jazz musicians who lived in the United States, who had a hard time being accepted over here and had to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/you-had-many-jazz-musicians-who-lived-in-the-united-states-who-had-a/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I miss playing with Miles. I did play with him a little while before he left the planet, but even at that time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-miss-playing-with-miles-i-did-play-with-him-a-little-while-before/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [Improvisation is really not so much remembering things. And this is what I do when I play. I forget things. When I go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/improvisation-is-really-not-so-much-remembering-things-and-this-is/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) > [I simply want to reach a level where I will never cease to make progress...so that, even on the bad evenings, I may never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-simply-want-to-reach-a-level-where-i-will-never-cease-to-make/) [Sonny Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) [Explore all 50 Sonny Rollins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/) ## More Fortunate quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I am fortunate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-westheimer/i-am-fortunate/) [Ruth Westheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-westheimer/) > [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [I have been very fortunate to have a partner who really stepped up and have wonderful children who do a lot of things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilhan-omar/i-have-been-very-fortunate-to-have-a-partner-who-really-stepped-up/) [Ilhan Omar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilhan-omar/) > [We are very fortunate to be recognized here in such an extraordinary manner for work that we enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-altman/we-are-very-fortunate-to-be-recognized-here-in-such-an-extraordinary/) [Sidney Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-altman/) > [Most magicians consider the palm an easy move to make. They are inclined to believe that they are 'getting away with it,' when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dai-vernon/most-magicians-consider-the-palm-an-easy-move-to-make-they-are/) [Dai Vernon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dai-vernon/) > [A perfect movie is a different thing, but a funny movie is easy. I was really happy that I got everyone that I got.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/a-perfect-movie-is-a-different-thing-but-a-funny-movie-is-easy-i-was/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [We in Illinois are very fortunate to have a number of historic structures that have added immeasurably to the cultural life of the state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-thompson/we-in-illinois-are-very-fortunate-to-have-a-number-of-historic/) [James R. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-thompson/) > [I can't say it was challenging for me to shake the image of Frasier. I've been fortunate to have had a very interesting career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-grammer/i-can-t-say-it-was-challenging-for-me-to-shake-the-image-of-frasier-i/) [Kelsey Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-grammer/) > [As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of 'The Hunger Games' family. It was an amazing experience; I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amandla-stenberg/as-a-fan-of-the-books-i-feel-fortunate-to-be-part-of-the-hunger-games/) [Amandla Stenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amandla-stenberg/) > [I just don't think of myself as a star. This is what I do for a living; I'm fortunate that I make ends meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-collins/i-just-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-star-this-is-what-i-do-for-a-living/) [Phil Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-collins/) > [I've grown up playing for some incredible coaches, and I don't think anybody's ever been as fortunate as I have in terms of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-brown/i-ve-grown-up-playing-for-some-incredible-coaches-and-i-don-t-think/) [Larry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-brown/) > [I'm fortunate in one way and I can take pride from the fact that I've consistently performed for 10 years, which is something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cavendish/i-m-fortunate-in-one-way-and-i-can-take-pride-from-the-fact-that-i-ve/) [Mark Cavendish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cavendish/) > [I'm very fortunate in my life to be able to do what I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-draper/i-m-very-fortunate-in-my-life-to-be-able-to-do-what-i-want-to-do/) [Jack Draper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-draper/) [Browse all 2,107 Fortunate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortunate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I guess fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize I guess because you never can tell what musicians would be playing had they been around as long as I have.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sonny Rollins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around-and-i-emphasize-i-guess/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fortunate" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around-and-i-emphasize-i-guess/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bde/sonny-rollins-13594_fortunate_i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around_2125042.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I guess fortunate that I'm still around and I emphasize I guess because you never can tell what musicians…” — Sonny Rollins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sonny Rollins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-rollins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I guess fortunate that I'm still...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around-and-i-emphasize-i-guess/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-rollins/i-guess-fortunate-that-i-m-still-around-and-i-emphasize-i-guess/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```