The Legendary American saxophone player Bobby Keys, a frequent session musician with The Rolling Stones, has passed away aged 70.
Nashville Scene reports that Keys passed away yesterday (December 2nd) at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He’d been battling with health issues for years and reports indicate that he’d been suffering with cirrhosis of the liver.
The Texas born musician worked with many of rock’s elite artists including, Eric Clapton, Faces, Chuck Berry, George Harrison and Lynard Skynard.
Keys is most well known for his phenomenal sax solo on the Rolling Stones’ 1971 song ‘Brown Sugar’. The saxophonist made his debut on the Stones’ Let It Bleed album, recording the track ‘Live With Me’. As well as contributing to Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile On Main St (1972), Goats Head Soup (1973) and Emotional Rescue (1980).
Keys toured with The Stones in the early seventies and re-joined them in 1982, touring with the band on all their tours up to his death.
In the mid-seventies, he performed in John Lennon’s ‘Lost Weekend’ event with Keith Moon, Ringo Starr and Harry Nielson. Keys also recorded with Lennon in the experimental Plastic Ono Band and played on his albums Walls and Bridges (1974) and Rock n Roll (1975).
Not only did Keys contribute to numerous iconic rock albums, he released his own material. In 1972 he put out his first solo album Bobby Keys, featuring the Beatles’ George Harrison and Ringo Starr. In 1975 he released his second solo LP Gimme The Key.
Watch Bobby Keys and Keith Richards throw a television from their hotel balcony below.
