Boots Randolph
| Boots Randolph | |
|---|---|
 Randolph performing live March 2000 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Homer Louis Randolph III |
| Also known as | "Boots" |
| Born |
June 3, 1927 Paducah, Kentucky |
| Died |
July 3, 2007 (aged 80) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Occupation(s) | Saxophonist |
| Instruments | Saxophone |
| Labels | RCA, Capitol, Monument |
| Associated acts | Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, many others |
| Website | Official website |
Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III (June 3, 1927 – July 3, 2007) was a saxophone player American best known for his 1963 saxophone hit "Yakety Sax" (which became Benny Hill's signature tune). Randolph was a major part of the "Nashville Sound" for most of his professional career.
Biography
Randolph was born in Paducah, Kentucky, and raised in Cadiz, Kentucky, attending high school in Evansville, Indiana.[1]
At the end of World War II, Boots Randolph played saxophone, trombone, and vibraphone in the United States Army Band. After his service in the Army, he played with Dink Welch's Kopy Kats in Decatur, Illinois, from 1948 to 1954. He briefly resided in Louisville, Kentucky, before returning to Decatur to start his own group. He left Decatur in 1957.[2]
During his more than forty-year career, Randolph performed in hundreds of venues alongside many artists in pop, rock, jazz, and country music. He played on many recording sessions with Elvis Presley and also performed on soundtracks for a number of Presley's motion pictures, one popular song being "Return to Sender".
Mr. Randolph recorded for Monument Records in Nashville and played on Roy Orbison's 1963 hit, "Mean Woman Blues."[2] He was also featured on "Little Queenie" by REO Speedwagon, "Java" by Al Hirt, "Turn On Your Love Light" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee. He was present on many recordings by guitarist Chet Atkins with whom he often performed. Early in his career, he often billed himself as Randy Randolph.
As a solo recording artist, Randolph placed four singles in the Top-100 between 1963 and 1967. The most successful of these was "Yakety Sax", which reached #35 in 1963 and stayed on the charts for nine weeks.[3] Boots was also successful on Billboard Magazine's album charts, having fourteen entries between 1963 and 1972. Boots With Strings from 1967 reached #36 and stayed on the chart for nearly two years.[4]
In 1977, Randolph opened a successful club of his own in Nashville's "Printer's Alley." He also frequently appeared on the television program Hee Haw, and was a member of the Million Dollar Band.
On July 3, 2007, Randolph died at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, after suffering a brain hemorrhage.[2] He had marked his 80th birthday a scant month prior.
His final solo studio album, A Whole New Ballgame, was released June 12, 2007.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US | ||
| 1964 | "Boot Randolph's Yakety Sax" | 79 |
| 1965 | "Boots Randolph plays More Yakety Sax!" | 118 |
| 1967 | "Boots with Strings"A | 36 |
| "Sax-Sational!"B | — | |
| 1968 | "Sunday Sax" | 76 |
| "The Sound of Boots" | 60 | |
| "Boots Randolph with the Knightsbridge Strings & Voices" | 189 | |
| 1969 | "Boots And Stockings" | 16 |
| "...with love/The Seductive Sax of Boots Randolph" | 82 | |
| 1970 | "Yakety Revisited" | 113 |
| "Hit Boots 1970 " | 157 | |
| 1971 | "The World of Boots Randolph" | 144 |
| "Homer Louis Randolph, III" | 141 | |
| "Boots with Brass" | 168 | |
| 1972 | "Boots Randolph Plays the Hits of Today" | 192 |
| 1974 | "Country Boots"C | — |
- A "Boots with Strings" also paked at #3 on Jazz albums and #21 on R&B albums.
- B "Goldmine Record Album Price Guide, ISBN 978-1-4402-0373-2
- C "Country Boots" peaked at #30 on Country albums
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | ||
| 1963 | "Yakety Sax" | 35 | — |
| 1964 | "Hey, Mr. Sax Man" | 77 | — |
| 1966 | "The Shadow of Your Smile" | 93 | 28 |
| 1967 | "Temptation" | 93 | 30 |
| "Big Daddy" | 105 | — | |
| 1968 | "Fred" | — | 39 |
| "Gentle on My Mind" | — | 19 | |
| 1970 | "Anna" | 111 | 40 |
See also
References
- Trott, Walt. (1998). "Boots Randolph." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 428–9.
- ↑ Associated Press, Sax man Boots Randolph known for hit 'Yakety Sax' July 4, 2007.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bernstein, Adam. "'Yakety Sax' Saxophonist Boots Randolph, 80". Washington Post. July 4, 2007.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2000). Top Pop Singles 1955-1999. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 526. ISBN 0-89820-139-X.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Albums - 6th edition. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 861. ISBN 0-89820-166-7.
External links
- Official Site
- Boots Randolph at the Internet Movie Database
- Boots bio
- Some of his music
- Find-A-Grave Memorial Page
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