Gene Ammons, born Eugene Ammons on April 14, 1925, in Chicago, Illinois, was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist known for his big sound and soulful improvisations. The son of renowned boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene was steeped in music from a young age. He studied under Walter Dyett at DuSable High School and began his professional career at 18 with King Kolax's band. He gained prominence as a member of Billy Eckstine's innovative bebop big band from 1944 to 1947, where he played alongside jazz legends like Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon.

Ammons was nicknamed "Jug" by Eckstine due to a humorous incident involving ill-fitting straw hats. After leaving Eckstine's band, he led his own group featuring notable musicians such as Miles Davis and Sonny Stitt. In 1949, he joined Woody Herman's Second Herd and later formed a successful duet with Stitt. The 1950s were a prolific period for Ammons, during which he recorded acclaimed albums like "The Happy Blues" and collaborated with artists such as John Coltrane and Art Farmer.

Despite his success, Ammons's career was marred by legal troubles, serving two prison sentences for narcotics possession between 1958 and 1969. After his release, he signed a significant contract with Prestige Records, continuing to perform and record until his death. Ammons passed away from bone cancer and pneumonia on August 6, 1974, in Chicago, at the age of 49. He left behind a legacy as a key figure in the development of soul jazz and the Chicago school of tenor saxophone, influencing generations of musicians with his expressive style and blues-inflected sound.