Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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RANDOLPH, Boots

(b Homer Louis Randolph III, 3 June 1926, Paducah KY; d 3 July 2007, Nashville TN) Saxophonist; Nashville session player who also had his own hits. Switched from trombone to sax in high school band in Evansville IN because it was easier to play while marching. Played in local combos early '40s-late '50s; wrote 'Yakety Sax' with James 'Spider' Rich, signed to RCA by Chet Atkins, switched to Monument '61: 'Yakety Sax' was top 40 pop hit '63, novelty instrumental with country and rock elements (also a no. 4 country hit '65 for Atkins as 'Yakety Axe'). 

Randolph had 13 albums in the top 200 '63-72 included Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax '63, Boots With Strings '67 (top 40), gospel LP Sunday Sax '68, etc. He made over 40 albums altogether, toured for 15 years in a Festival of Music with Atkins and Floyd Cramer, and continued playing in Nashville Clubs. He played on hits including Elvis Presley's 'Return To Sender', Roy Orbison's 'Oh, Pretty Woman', Brenda Lee's 'I'm Sorry', REO Speedwagon's 'Little Queenie' and Al Hirt's 'Java'.