He first played with The Rocks a Cincinnati-based group that backed Jackie Wilson, Jerry Butler, Solomon Burke, Lavern Baker and other soul artists.
[3] In 2006, Cox was voted as one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament, a group of former players and coaches in honor of the 100th.
Among the basketball players whom he coached at King were Marcus Liberty, Levertis Robinson, Jamie Brandon.
Imari Sawyer, Rashard Griffith, Thomas Hamilton, Michael Hermon, Emmitt Lynch, Fred Sculfield, Johnnie Selvie, Marcus Cathcings and many other local Chicago sporting luminaries.
According to jazz critic Joe Segal, Cox was influenced by Earl Bostic and Charlie Parker: "Sonny's general sound is an amalgamation of the jazz feeling (derived from a Charlie Parker spark) and a warm fuzzy throaty sound and approach influenced by the daddy of the rock altoists Earl Bostic" (liner notes of Argo 4036).