Born on January 10, 1924 in Newland, North Carolina, Roach is survived by his five children: Daryl Keith Roach, Maxine Roach, Raoul Roach, Ayo Roach and Dara Roach.

The family issued the following statement: "We are deeply saddened by our beloved father’s passing. We wish to convey our sincere thanks and appreciation for all the blessings and condolences we have received at this time. As his family, we are fortunate to have been a part of his life and we will continue to share his legacy as a musician, educator and social activist with the world."

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Fl. 17, Chicago, IL 60601-7633, www.alz.org or Veritas Therapeutic Community, Inc. (which provides substance abuse services), 912 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025, 212-865-9182, ext. 205, where Roach was a Veritas Foundation trustee and founder.

Max Roach was last celebrated here during The Riverside Theatre's Family Arts Festival on Friday, June 23, 2006 as part of it's "Power of the Drum" - A Max Roach Celebration Award event. The Theatre was filled to capacity as Gil Noble of WABC-TV welcomed an amazing array of musicians: Warren Smith, Eli Fontaine, Jason Samuel Smith, Clayton Cameron, Will Calhoun, Cecil Bridgewater, Jimmy Owens, James Spaulding, Billy Harper, Reggie Workman, Aaron Scott and Mike Clark. An incredible evening saluting an incredible artist!

For more information about this American legend goto NY Times article