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Bobby Keys
Bobby Keys October 31, 2009 at Fitzgerald's.jpg
Keys performing in October 2009
Background information
Born (1943-12-18)December 18, 1943
Slaton, Texas, U.S.
Died December 2, 2014(2014-12-02) (aged 70)
Franklin, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres Rock, jazz
Occupation(s) Session musician
Instruments Tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
Years active 1956–2014
Associated acts The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Delaney & Bonnie, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Warren Zevon, Joe Cocker, Joe Ely, Sheryl Crow, John Lennon, Leon Russell, Plastic Ono Band, Harry Nilsson, Carl Carlton & The Songdogs

Robert Henry Keys (born December 18, 1943 – died December 2, 2014) was an American saxophone player. He was famous for being part of many horn sections in the 1970s.

Bobby Keys played on albums for many famous musicians. These included The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Eric Clapton. He was a touring musician from 1956 until he passed away in 2014.

Early Life and Musical Start

Bobby Keys was born near Slaton, Texas. His father was in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Bobby grew up mostly with his grandparents in Slaton.

He started touring and playing music when he was just fifteen years old. One of the first musicians he toured with was Buddy Knox, who was also from Texas.

Amazing Music Career

Keys met the famous band The Rolling Stones in 1964. He was playing with Bobby Vee's band at a fair in San Antonio. Bobby Keys is well-known for his amazing saxophone playing. A great example is his solo on The Rolling Stones' 1971 hit song "Brown Sugar".

He was also very good friends with Keith Richards, a guitarist for The Rolling Stones. They even shared the same birthday!

Bobby Keys first played with The Rolling Stones on their song "Live with Me" in 1969. Besides "Brown Sugar," he played on other popular Stones songs. These included "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," "Rip This Joint" and "Sweet Virginia."

Keys toured with The Rolling Stones from 1970 to 1973. He became close with Mick Jagger, the lead singer, and was even best man at Jagger's wedding. Bobby Keys played with the Stones on all their tours from 1982 until his death.

Before touring with the Stones, Keys played with other great artists. In 1969, he joined Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. This group also featured Eric Clapton and George Harrison.

The year 1970 was very busy for Bobby. He worked on Eric Clapton's first solo album. He also joined Joe Cocker on a big tour called "Mad Dogs & Englishmen." A live album and a concert movie were made from this tour.

After that, he worked on George Harrison's album All Things Must Pass. Then, he joined The Rolling Stones for their European tour in the fall of 1970.

Bobby Keys also played on John Lennon's albums Walls and Bridges and Rock 'n' Roll. He played a famous solo on Lennon's number one hit song "Whatever Gets You thru the Night." He also played the solo on Leo Sayer's 1977 hit song "When I Need You."

In 1979, Keys was part of a band called The New Barbarians. This band included Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards from The Rolling Stones. They played many shows across the United States and Canada.

In 1989, Bobby Keys became the music director for Ronnie Wood's new club in Miami. He booked famous musicians like Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino to play there. In the early 1990s, Keys had his own band called Tumbling Dice.

Even though he was known for playing with others, Bobby Keys released two of his own albums in the 1970s. One was called Bobby Keys and featured Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Eric Clapton. The other was Gimme the Key.

In 2013, he played with The Rolling Stones at their first-ever Glastonbury Festival performance. His last show with the Stones was at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark.

Personal Life and Passing

Bobby Keys was married to Holly Keys. He had children named Amber, Huck, and Jesse, and a step-son named Randy Kaune.

Bobby Keys passed away at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, on December 2, 2014. He was 70 years old and died from liver cancer.

Selected Albums

Bobby Keys released his own album in 1972. He also played on many other albums, including:

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bobby Keys para niños

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