Boots Randolph

Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III (June 3, 1927 – July 3, 2007) was an American musician. His 1963 saxophone hit "Yakety Sax" became the signature tune of The Benny Hill Show. Randolph was a prolific session musician and member of the Nashville A-Team, performing on numerous recordings by artists including Chet Atkins, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee, REO Speedwagon, and Al Hirt. He performed alongside artists in pop, rock, jazz, and country music.

Randolph was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on June 3, 1927. and raised in Cadiz, Kentucky. He said a brother gave him the nickname "Boots" to avoid confusion, since his father and he had the same first name, though the reason for the nickname choice is unknown.

As a child, Randolph learned to play music with his family's band, who entered talent shows to win food to help get by during the Great Depression. He started out playing the ukulele and trombone, but switched to tenor saxophone when his father unexpectedly brought one home.

Randolph graduated from Central High School in Evansville, Indiana, and served in the United States Army toward the end of World War II, playing saxophone, trombone, and vibraphone in the U.S. Army Band until his discharge in 1946.

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. Early in his career, he often billed himself as Randy Randolph. In 1957, he left Decatur and relocated to the Nashville, Tennessee, suburb of Hendersonville and was signed to RCA Victor by Chet Atkins in 1958. While Randolph's initial recordings for the label were not commercial successes, they recognized his potential as a session musician, and Randolph became part of the Nashville A-Team. He played on Brenda Lee's 1958 hit "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", Al Hirt's 1963 instrumental hit "Java", Roy Orbison's 1964 hit "Oh, Pretty Woman", and Johnny Cash's 1965 cover hit of "Orange Blossom Special". 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". He was also present on many recordings by guitarist Chet Atkins, with whom he often performed.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.