R.I.P.: Bobby Keys, Sax Man For The Rolling Stones

Bobby Keys

Bobby Keys, whose swampy saxophone was as key a component of the peak-period Rolling Stones as Clarence Clemons’ sax was for the E Street Band, has died at age 70, in Middle Tennessee, according to Variety.

Multiple news reports cited cirrhosis as the cause of death.

The Slaton, Texas, native, who made his Stones recording debut with “Live With Me” on the epochal 1969 album “Let It Bleed,” with his tasty reeds providing that track’s primary solo, also played with Eric Clapton, John Lennon, George Harrison, Joe Cocker, B.B. King and Lynard Skynyrd, among many others during a career that lasted more than five decades.

But it was his work with the Stones, particularly on the albums “Sticky Fingers” — on which his down-and-dirty solos for “Brown Sugar” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” provided a muscular counterpoint to the twin guitars of Keith Richards and Mick Taylor — and the double LP “Exile on Main Street,” with Keys’ fingerprints prevalent throughout, that established the Texas native as a key session musician during the ’70s and beyond.

He would act as an unofficial member of the group, one of the players Richards referred to as “supersidemen” — not unlike the keyboardists Nicky Hopkins and Ian Stewart — during the group’s halcyon days of 1969-74, and again beginning in 1980, continuing to record and tour with the group right up until their appearance at Glastonbury in 2013, and this past year during the Stones’ 14 On Fire tour, until health issues sidelined him.

“The Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys…” the band said on Twitter. “Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960’s. He will be greatly missed.”

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Keys was born in Texas and starting touring with Buddy Holly and Bobby Vee at the age of 16. He met Mick Jagger and company in 1964, first appearing on one of their albums in 1964.  Keys played on hundreds of recordings and was a touring musician from 1956 until his death in 2014.

Keys is heard on "The Wanderer" by Dion and John Lennon's first American solo number 1 single hit "Whatever Gets You thru the Night",