Rolling Stones’ Brown Sugar saxophonist Bobby Keys dead at 70
BOBBY Keys, a saxophonist and lifelong rock ‘n roller who played on recordings by Buddy Holly and John Lennon and performed one of the highest blowout solos on the Rolling Stones’ Brown Sugar, has died at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 70 years old.
Michael Webb, who played keyboard with Keys, said Keys died yesterday after a lengthy illness. Keys had been out on tour with the Stones earlier this year before his health prevented him from performing.
“The Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys,” the band said in a statement. “Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly missed.”
Known for his heavy jowls and forceful style, the Lubbock, Texas native was born on the same day as Keith Richards — December18, 1943 — and the Stones’ guitarist would often cite Keys as a soulmate and favourite musician. Besides Brown Sugar, Keys also played memorable solos on such Stones favourites as the 7-minute jam Can’t You Hear Me Knocking and the country-styled Sweet Virginia. Other career highlights included John Lennon’s chart-topping Whatever Gets You Through the Night and albums by Richards, George Harrison, Barbra Streisand and Eric Clapton.
Keys’ career dated back to the 1950s, when as a teenager he played with fellow Lubbock native Holly and The Crickets. He met the Stones in the mid-’60s while they were on the same bill in San Antonio, Texas. He first recorded with the Stones in the late 1960s, and has toured and recorded with them off and on over the following decades.
Culled from The Australian
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