American
saxophonist Bobby Keys, who for years toured and recorded with the Rolling
Stones, has died, postings on the band's Twitter account said Tuesday. He was 70.
"The
Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and
legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys,"
"Bobby
made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960's. He will be
greatly missed."
Born in Texas, Keys was a veteran
sideman who performed or recorded with Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Eric Clapton
and many other rock 'n' roll greats. He played sax on several of the Rolling
Stones' best-known songs, including "Brown Sugar," "Sweet Virginia"
and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Continue...
Keys left
the Stones in the 1970s but rejoined the band almost two decades later
Stones guitarist Keith Richards
paid tribute to Keys on the band's Facebook page.
"I
have lost the largest pal in the world and I can't express the sense of sadness
I feel although Bobby would tell me to cheer up," the post attributed to
Richards reads. "My condolences to all that knew him and his love of
music."
A post on Keys' Facebook page said he died peacefully early Tuesday
morning at home in Franklin, Tennessee, surrounded by family and friends.
"Bobby's
horn may be silenced here on Earth, but the music he graciously shared will
eternally live on," the post said.
News of
Keys' death comes about a month and a half after the band said he would miss the Stones' Australian and
New Zealand tour dates because
he was "under doctor's orders to take it a bit easy for the next
month."
According
to Keys' 2012 autobiography, "Every Night's a Saturday Night,"
the list of performers he recorded with reads like a who's who of popular
music: B.B. King, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Chuck Berry, Etta James,
George Harrison, Marvin Gaye, Ringo Starr and Sheryl Crow, among many others.
No comments:
Post a Comment