Musician; Born June 3, 1927; Died July 3, 2007. Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph, who has died aged 80, was a spirited saxophone player best known for his memorable Yakety Sax, which became the theme tune for Benny Hill's TV show.
Randolph played regularly in Nashville nightclubs for 30 years, becoming a tourist draw for the city, recorded more than 40 albums and spent 15 years touring with the Festival of Music, with fellow instrumentalists Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer.
He played as a session musician 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.
He also played on recordings by Buddy Holly and by Johnny Cash.
In 1963 he had his biggest solo hit with Yakety Sax, which he wrote with guitarist James Rich. In a 1990 interview Randolph said: "Yakety Sax will be my trademark. I'll hang my hat on it. It's kept me alive."
Randolph was born in Paducah, Kentucky, and grew up in the rural community of Cadiz, Kentucky, where he learned to play music with his family's band.
He began playing the ukulele and then trombone, and later switched to tenor sax. He graduated from high school in Evansville, Indiana, then joined the US army and became a member of the army band.
After his discharge he played in nightclubs for $60 a week. He eventually won a recording contract with RCA in 1958 and was also hired as a musician for recording sessions.
Randolph had 13 albums on the pop charts from 1963 to 1972. His other single hits in the US included Hey, Mr Sax Man in 1964 and Temptation in 1967.
He said: "Every time I pick the horn up, it's more intriguing to me. It satisfies my desire to do whatever I do. I think I probably get better because I work so much.
"You get to a point where you can be lackadaisical or nonchalant. But I'm not like that. I worry if I play a tune bad or my horn is not working right."
Randolph is survived by his wife, a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.
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