Yakety sax man dies

[martinc]

:(

James "Spider" Rich, a guitarist who co-wrote with Boots Randolph the quirky
instrumental "Yakety Sax", later used as the theme song for The Benny Hill
Show, has died. He was 80.

Rich, a former resident of Henderson, was a World War II veteran, who was
awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

He died Sunday, at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Rich worked up the song with Randolph, and sent it on a demo tape to his
friend Chet Atkins at RCA Records in Nashville.

The song hit Number 35 on the pop chart in 1963, and later was used as the
theme song for British comedian Benny Hill's TV show.

Rich was well-known in Henderson's music scene, where he played with the Les
Smithhart Band.

[MS]

Sorry to hear that. That tune sure inspired a lot of sax plyers of my era. (Yakety Sax)
RIP.

[kevvieg]

It's funny. I occasionally use a "chicken" sax effect for certain types of music, but I've never liked to hear that type of playing. (The necessity of commerce makes me do it.) Hnwever, I always enjoyed "Yakkety Axe" played by Chet Atkins and learned it on sax before I ever heard Boots do it -in fact. I had thought, at the time, that Boots was covering Chet. I was actually disappointed to find I liked it better on guitar than sax.

[Tenorsaxer]

a very sad day for jazz. It seems like all of the great players from the golden age are just dying off. :cry:

[michaelbaird]

I'm a nurse in the SICU at the Nashville VA. I wish I would have known. Murfreesboro is part of our system. I hope and pray he got good care.

[sessionsax]

You know -- its wierd -- I guess I have reached a point in life -- with my age -- 34 -- in which a lot of the names that I grew up listening to/knowing about are passing away.

Its been a sad time for the entertainment industry the last couple of years across the board.

Country music lost the Cashs
Southern Gospel lost the Goodmans and may others.

I keeping waiting for someone from Aerosmith or the Stones to go.

I know this was a ramble, but it just hit me and I wanted to express it.