Nashville sax player Boots Randolph dead at 80

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Renowned saxophonist Boots Randolph died on Tuesday (July 3) after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage June 25, according to publicist and family friend Betty Hofer.

Randolph, who was 80 and whose signature tune was his self-written "Yakety Sax," a 1963 hit, died at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville.

Born Homer Louis Randolph in Paducah, Kentucky, he moved in the 1950s to Nashville, where he established himself as one of the top session players in the business. He recorded more than 40 albums and toured for 30 years playing nightclubs with fellow instrumentalists Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer.

Randolph was the first to play sax on Elvis Presley's recordings, and contributed to eight of the singer's movie soundtracks. He also played for such stars as Johnny Cash and Pete Fountain. His sax work was a standout on Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" and Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree." His own albums were recorded on the Monument label.

In 1966 his sax playing earned him a gold record for his recording of "The Shadow of Your Smile" with the Knightbridge Strings. His most recent solo album, a collection of jazz and pop standards called "A Whole New Ballgame," came out in June.

Reuters/Nielsen