RIP, Boots Randolph

[Johnny Dangerously]

No link yet, but AP just moved a short take.

As a session musician, he played on Elvis Presley's "Return to Sender," Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree" and "I'm Sorry," REO Speedwagon's "Little Queenie," Al Hirt's "Java" and other songs including ones by Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash.

In 1963 he had his biggest solo hit, "Yakety Sax," which he wrote.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Brenda Lee and the Speedwagon?
Now, that's a career.

 

[Mayfly]

You may get a lot of people stopping in here who just read the first two words. RIP. He was a good musician.

 

[jgmacg]

In 1963 he had his biggest solo hit, "Yakety Sax," which he wrote.[/i]

Where the hell does this leave Benny Hill?

 

[Oggiedoggie]

Where the hell does this leave Benny Hill?

Dead.

 

[jgmacg]

Where the hell does this leave Benny Hill?

Dead.

Still! All the best 'B's of a generation, gone!

 

[spaceman]

Boots Randolph was the man. Without Boots, there's no Clarence Clemons.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

How do you like that? Benny Hill's in the lede.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Boots Randolph, whose spirited saxophone playing on "Yakety Sax" endeared him to fans for years on Benny Hill's TV show, died Tuesday. He was 80.

Randolph suffered a cerebral hemorrhage June 25 and had been hospitalized in a coma. He was taken off a respirator at Skyline Medical Center earlier Tuesday, said Betty Hofer, a publicist and spokeswoman for the family.

Randolph played regularly in Nashville nightclubs for 30 years, becoming a tourist draw for the city much like Wayne Newton in Las Vegas and Pete Fountain in New Orleans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/03/AR2007070301467.html?nav=rss_artsandliving/entertainmentnews

 

[Moderator1]

Yakity Sax, right?

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Yakity Sax, right?

Don't hold back.

 

[Ace]

RIP Boots. Say hi to the King.

 

[Second Thoughts]

My mom was a big Boots Randolph fan. I remember hearing Yakety Sax echoing through the house from the stereo.

RIP Boots.

 

[mpcincal]

Didn't know he was the guy who did "Yakety Sax." A definite rest in peace for him.

Every time I hear/read his name, I think of that scene in "That Thing You Do" when the band pretends they're playing in the scene in the beach movie and after the scene's over, Steve Zahn's Lennie goes "Hey guys, Boots Randolph," and follows it up with a sax riff that sounds like it was played by an asthmatic 80-year-old.