Stanley Turrentine was born in Pittsburg on April 5, 1934 into a musical family. He father played the saxophone. His mother played stride piano and his older brother, Tommy, played trumpet. He started playing the saxophone when he was 11. He was greatly influenced by his father and Illinois Jacquet. When he was 12, had the opportunity to sit in with Illinois Jacquet.

When he was 17, Turrentine started touring with Lowell Fulson. After touring with that band, he started working with Tadd Dameron. From 1956 to 1958, he was in the army. It was there that he got all of his formal training in music. When he got out of the army, he started playing with Max Roach.

Turrentine married Shirley Scott in 1960. He played with Scott frequently and also played with organist Jimmy Smith. During the 1960’s, he played with a number of people on the Blue Note label including, Art Taylor, Horace Silver, Horce Parlan, and Duke Jordan.

In 1969, he signed with CTI records. In 1970, he released his first album with that label called Sugar. On this album he mixed pop and jazz. He continued to do this future albums.

Turrentine died in New York on September 12, 2000 from a stroke.