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| name = Boots Randolph
| name = Boots Randolph
| image = WIKI BOOTS RANDOLPH 2.jpg
| image = WIKI BOOTS RANDOLPH 2.jpg
| caption = Randolph performing live March 2000
| caption = Randolph in March 2000
| image_size =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Homer Louis Randolph III
| birth_name = Homer Louis Randolph III
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| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|07|3|1927|06|03}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2007|07|3|1927|06|03}}
| death_place = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| instrument = [[Tenor Saxophone]]
| instrument = [[Saxophone]]
| genre = [[Nashville sound]]
| genre = [[Nashville sound]]
| occupation = [[Saxophonist]]
| occupation = [[Saxophonist]]
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| label = [[RCA Victor]], [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], [[Monument Records|Monument]]
| label = [[RCA Victor]], [[Capitol Records|Capitol]], [[Monument Records|Monument]]
| associated_acts = [[Elvis Presley]], [[Chet Atkins]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]]
| associated_acts = [[Elvis Presley]], [[Chet Atkins]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]]
| website = {{url|bootsrandolph.com}}
| website = {{URL|bootsrandolph.com}}
}}
}}


'''Homer Louis''' "'''Boots'''" '''Randolph III''' (June 3, 1927<ref name="Larkin"/> – July 3, 2007) was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit "[[Yakety Sax]]" (which became [[Benny Hill]]'s signature tune). Randolph was a major part of the "[[Nashville sound]]" for most of his professional career.<ref name="Larkin"/>
'''Homer Louis''' "'''Boots'''" '''Randolph III''' (June 3, 1927<ref name="Larkin"/> – July 3, 2007) was an American musician best known for his 1963 [[saxophone]] hit "[[Yakety Sax]]", which 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 notable recordings by artists including [[Chet Atkins]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Roy Orbison]], [[Brenda Lee]], and [[Al Hirt]]. During the span of his more than forty-year music career, Randolph performed in hundreds of venues alongside many artists in [[Pop music|pop]], [[Rock music|rock]], [[jazz]], and [[country music]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Trott|first=Walt|title=The Encyclopedia of Country Music|date=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=428–429}}</ref>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Randolph was born in [[Paducah, Kentucky]], United States,<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=995/6}}</ref> and raised in [[Cadiz, Kentucky]], attending Central High School in [[Evansville, Indiana]].<ref name=ap.obit>{{Cite web |url=http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070704%2FENTERTAINMENT04%2F707040418%2F1005%2FENTERTAINMENT |title=Archived copy |access-date=2019-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305194657/http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070704%2FENTERTAINMENT04%2F707040418%2F1005%2FENTERTAINMENT |archive-date=2012-03-05 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Randolph was born in [[Paducah, Kentucky]], on June 3, 1927.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=995/6}}</ref> 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.<ref name="washpost">{{cite web|last=Bernstein|first=Adam|title='Yakety Sax' Saxophonist Boots Randolph, 80|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/03/AR2007070301650.html?nav=rss_metro/obituaries|website=[[The Washington Post]]|date=4 July 2007|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>


As a child, he learned to play music with his family's band. He was not sure where or why he acquired the nickname "Boots", although it may have served to avoid confusion since his father and he had the same first name. He started out playing the ukulele and trombone, but switched to tenor saxophone when his father unexpectedly brought one home.<ref name="imdb.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0709879/bio|title=Boots Randolph|website=IMDb.com}}</ref>
As a child, Randolph learned to play music with his family's band, who would enter talent shows to win food to help get by during the [[Great Depression]].<ref name=washpost/> He started out playing the ukulele and trombone, but switched to tenor saxophone when his father unexpectedly brought one home.<ref name="imdb.com">{{cite web|title=Boots Randolph Biography|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0709879/bio|website=IMDb.com|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>
⚫
At the end of [[World War II]], Boots Randolph played [[saxophone]], [[trombone]], and [[vibraphone]] in the [[United States Army]] Band. 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. He left Decatur in 1957.<ref name="washpost">Bernstein, Adam. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/03/AR2007070301650.html?nav=rss_metro/obituaries "'Yakety Sax' Saxophonist Boots Randolph, 80"]. ''[[The Washington Post]]''. July 4, 2007.</ref>


Randolph graduated from [[Evansville Central High School|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.<ref name="BRabout">{{cite web|title=Boots' Life Story|url=https://bootsrandolph.com/about/|access-date=24 May 2024}}</ref>
During his forty-plus year career, Randolph performed in hundreds of venues alongside many artists in [[Pop music|pop]], [[Rock music|rock]], [[jazz]], and [[country music]]. He played on many recording sessions with [[Elvis Presley]] and also performed on [[soundtrack]]s for a number of Presley's [[film|motion pictures]], one popular song being "[[Return to Sender (song)|Return to Sender]]".<ref name="Larkin"/>
⚫
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, Tennessee|Hendersonville]] and was signed to [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] by [[Chet Atkins]] in 1958. While Randolph's initial recordings for the label weren't commercial successes, they recognized his potential as a [[session musician]], and Randolph became part of [[the Nashville A-Team]].<ref name=washpost/> He played on [[Brenda Lee]]'s 1958 hit "[[Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree]]", [[Al Hirt]]'s 1963 instrumental hit "[[Java (instrumental)|Java]]", and [[Roy Orbison]]'s 1964 hit "[[Oh, Pretty Woman]]". He played on many recording sessions with [[Elvis Presley]] and also performed on [[soundtrack]]s for a number of Presley's [[film|motion pictures]], one popular song being "[[Return to Sender (song)|Return to Sender]]".<ref name="Larkin"/> He was also present on many recordings by guitarist [[Chet Atkins]] with whom he often performed.


⚫
In 1961 he signed with [[Monument Records]], and as a solo recording artist placed four singles in the Top-100 between 1963 and 1967. The most successful of these was "Yakety Sax", which reached #35 in 1963 and stayed on the charts for nine weeks.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955- " Yakety Sax " was Canadian radioman André Arthur shows theme. 1999|year=2000|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-139-X|pages=526}}</ref> Randolph was also successful on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Magazine]]'''s album charts, having fourteen entries between 1963 and 1972. ''Boots With Strings'' from 1966 reached #36 and stayed on the chart for nearly two years.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=The Billboard Albums - 6th edition|year=2006|publisher=Record Research, Inc|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-166-7|pages=861}}</ref>
Randolph recorded for [[Monument Records]] in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]] and played on [[Roy Orbison]]'s 1963 hit, "[[Mean Woman Blues]]."<ref name="washpost" /> He was also featured on "Little Queenie" by [[REO Speedwagon]], "Java" by [[Al Hirt]], "[[Turn On Your Love Light]]" by [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], and "[[Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree]]" by [[Brenda Lee]]. He was present on many recordings by guitarist [[Chet Atkins]] with whom he often performed. Early in his career, he often billed himself as '''Randy Randolph'''.


Randolph often maintained a schedule of over 200 recording and performance commitments annually.<ref name=washpost/> He also appeared on numerous television shows including ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'', ''[[The Jimmy Dean Show]]''. In the 1980s, he also frequently appeared on the television program ''[[Hee Haw]]'' as a member of the [[Million Dollar Band (country music group)|Million Dollar Band]].<ref name=BRabout/>
⚫
As a solo recording artist, Randolph placed four singles in the Top-100 between 1963 and 1967. The most successful of these was "Yakety Sax", which reached #35 in 1963 and stayed on the charts for nine weeks.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Top Pop Singles 1955- " Yakety Sax " was Canadian radioman André Arthur shows theme. 1999|year=2000|publisher=Record Research Inc.|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-139-X|pages=526}}</ref> Randolph was also successful on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Magazine]]'''s album charts, having fourteen entries between 1963 and 1972. ''Boots With Strings'' from 1966 reached #36 and stayed on the chart for nearly two years.<ref>{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=The Billboard Albums - 6th edition|year=2006|publisher=Record Research, Inc|location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin|isbn=0-89820-166-7|pages=861}}</ref>


In 1977, Randolph opened a successful club of his own in Nashville's [[Printer's Alley]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Randolph's Alley Club Opening Set|newspaper=[[The Tennessean]]|date=6 June 1977|page=6}}</ref> He also frequently appeared on the television program ''[[Hee Haw]]'', and was a member of the [[Million Dollar Band (country music group)|Million Dollar Band]].
In 1977, Randolph opened and performed regularly at Boots Randolph's, a 275-seat [[nightclub]] in downtown Nashville's [[Printer's Alley]], which remained in operation until 1994.<ref>{{cite news|title=Randolph's Alley Club Opening Set|newspaper=[[The Tennessean]]|date=6 June 1977|page=6}}</ref>


==Personal life and death==
On July 3, 2007, Randolph died at Skyline Medical Center in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], after suffering a [[brain hemorrhage]].<ref name="washpost" /> He had celebrated his 80th birthday just one month prior. He had a son, a daughter and four grandchildren.
Randolph married Dee Baker in 1948; they had a son, Randy, and a daughter, Linda. On July 3, 2007, Randolph died at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, after suffering a [[brain hemorrhage]].<ref name=washpost/> He had celebrated his 80th birthday just one month prior.


His final solo studio album, ''A Whole New Ballgame'', was released June 12, 2007.
His final solo studio album, ''A Whole New Ballgame'', was released June 12, 2007.
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|-
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| 1964
| rowspan="2"| 1964
|''Hip Boots!''
|''Hip Boots!''
| align="center"| —
|-
|''The Yakin' Sax Man''
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|-
|-
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===Singles===
===Singles===

{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
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|-
|-
|
|
|"[[Those Were the Days (song)|Those Were The Days]]"
|"[[Those Were the Days (song)|Those Were the Days]]"
| align="center"|
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==References==
==References==
*Trott, Walt. (1998). "Boots Randolph." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music''. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp.&nbsp;428–9.
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
Regeneration (Reunion of Nashville's A Team) (2003)
- Sunset Records America - Producer, Neil J. Cacciottolo
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1IEpoveGWq3VizB1jFvMrA


==External links==
==External links==
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* [http://www.bootsrandolph.com/about.htm Boots bio]
* [http://www.bootsrandolph.com/about.htm Boots bio]
* [http://deepanjannag.blogspot.com/2007/07/yet-another-part-of-me-dies.html Some of his music]
* [http://deepanjannag.blogspot.com/2007/07/yet-another-part-of-me-dies.html Some of his music]
* [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20254879 Find-A-Grave Memorial Page]
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/boots-randolph Boots Randolph Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2003)
* [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/boots-randolph Boots Randolph Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2003)
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

Latest revision as of 05:53, 29 June 2024

Boots Randolph
Randolph in March 2000
Randolph in March 2000
Background information
Birth nameHomer Louis Randolph III
Also known as"Boots"
Born(1927-06-03)June 3, 1927
Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedJuly 3, 2007(2007-07-03) (aged 80)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresNashville sound
OccupationSaxophonist
InstrumentSaxophone
LabelsRCA Victor, Capitol, Monument
Websitebootsrandolph.com

Homer Louis "Boots" Randolph III (June 3, 1927[1] – July 3, 2007) was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit "Yakety Sax", which 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 notable recordings by artists including Chet Atkins, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee, and Al Hirt. During the span of his more than forty-year music career, Randolph performed in hundreds of venues alongside many artists in pop, rock, jazz, and country music.[2]

Biography

[edit]

Randolph was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on June 3, 1927.[1] 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.[3]

As a child, Randolph learned to play music with his family's band, who would enter talent shows to win food to help get by during the Great Depression.[3] He started out playing the ukulele and trombone, but switched to tenor saxophone when his father unexpectedly brought one home.[4]

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.[5]

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 weren't commercial successes, they recognized his potential as a session musician, and Randolph became part of the Nashville A-Team.[3] He played on Brenda Lee's 1958 hit "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree", Al Hirt's 1963 instrumental hit "Java", and Roy Orbison's 1964 hit "Oh, Pretty Woman". 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".[1] He was also present on many recordings by guitarist Chet Atkins with whom he often performed.

In 1961 he signed with Monument Records, and as a solo recording artist placed four singles in the Top-100 between 1963 and 1967. The most successful of these was "Yakety Sax", which reached #35 in 1963 and stayed on the charts for nine weeks.[6] Randolph was also successful on Billboard Magazine's album charts, having fourteen entries between 1963 and 1972. Boots With Strings from 1966 reached #36 and stayed on the chart for nearly two years.[7]

Randolph often maintained a schedule of over 200 recording and performance commitments annually.[3] He also appeared on numerous television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Jimmy Dean Show. In the 1980s, he also frequently appeared on the television program Hee Haw as a member of the Million Dollar Band.[5]

In 1977, Randolph opened and performed regularly at Boots Randolph's, a 275-seat nightclub in downtown Nashville's Printer's Alley, which remained in operation until 1994.[8]

Personal life and death

[edit]

Randolph married Dee Baker in 1948; they had a son, Randy, and a daughter, Linda. On July 3, 2007, Randolph died at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, after suffering a brain hemorrhage.[3] He had celebrated his 80th birthday just one month prior.

His final solo studio album, A Whole New Ballgame, was released June 12, 2007.

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
Year Title Chart positions
US
1960 Boots Randolph's Yakety Sax 79
1963 Yakety Sax! —
1964 Hip Boots! —
The Yakin' Sax Man —
1965 Boots Randolph Plays More Yakety Sax! 118
Plays 12 Monstrous Sax Hits! —
1966 Boots with StringsA 36
The Fantastic Boots Randolph —
1967 Boots Randolph with the Knightsbridge Strings & Voices 189
King of Yakety —
1968 Sunday Sax 76
The Sound of Boots 60
1969 ...With Love/The Seductive Sax of Boots Randolph 82
Boots and Stockings 16
Yakety Revisited 113
1970 Hit Boots 1970 157
Boots with Brass 168
1971 Homer Louis Randolph, III 141
1972 Boots Randolph Plays the Hits of Today 192
1973 Sentimental Journey —
1974 Country BootsB —
1975 Cool Boots —
1976 Party Boots —
1977 Sax Appeal —
1978 Boots Randolph Puts a Little Sax in Your Life —
1982 Dedication —
1983 Yakety-Madness (featuring Richie Cole (musician)) —
1990 Boots —
1992 Boots Live —
Christmas at Boots' Place (featuring Tommy Newsom's Jazztet) —
2000 Songs for the Spirit —
2002 A Christmas Holiday —
2007 A Whole New Ballgame —
  • A "Boots with Strings" also peaked at #3 on Jazz albums and #21 on R&B albums.
  • B "Country Boots" peaked at #30 on Country albums

Singles

[edit]
Year Title Chart positions
US US AC
1963 "Yakety Sax" 35 —
1964 "Hey, Mr. Sax Man" 77 —
1966 "The Shadow of Your Smile" 93 28
"Miss You"
"Yodelin' Sax"
1967 "Temptation" 93 30
"Big Daddy" 105 —
1968 "Fred" — 39
"Gentle on My Mind" — 19
1969 "Hey Jude"
"Down Yonder"
1970 "Anna" 111 40
"Those Were the Days"
"Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down"

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 995/6. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  2. ^ Trott, Walt (1998). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press. pp. 428–429.
  3. ^ a b c d e Bernstein, Adam (4 July 2007). "'Yakety Sax' Saxophonist Boots Randolph, 80". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Boots Randolph Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Boots' Life Story". Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2000). Top Pop Singles 1955- " Yakety Sax " was Canadian radioman André Arthur shows theme. 1999. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 526. ISBN 0-89820-139-X.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Albums - 6th edition. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 861. ISBN 0-89820-166-7.
  8. ^ "Randolph's Alley Club Opening Set". The Tennessean. 6 June 1977. p. 6.
[edit]
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