Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (1927-2007)

Subject: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph
From: BK Lick
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 07:47 PM

Boots Randolph, a saxophone player best known for his 1963 hit "Yakety Sax," died July 3 in Nashville, Tennessee.
One obituary (with photo) can be found here (click me). Listen to "Yakety Sax" on YouTube here. Wikipedia article here.

—BK

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph
From: Peace
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 08:06 PM

"Boots Randolph and the Carroll County Car Strippers."

Best name for a group ever.

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 10:13 PM

July 21st, 1960 ---- That was the first time I ever "heard" Boots Randolph!

When I was younger, I spent some wondrous summers working in my uncle's factory in Evansville, Indiana. One hot day I met a 58 year old blind singer from Butler County, Kentucky named Lee O.B. Quiggins singing on main street in downtown Evansville about 3 blocks from the Ohio River. I thought he might have some good songs. Truth be told, Lee was not a great singer, and he played his old Martin D-18 in a strange staccato style. He picked out mostly the melody line of the song using a thumb pick that had a flat pick stuck between his thumb and the thumb pick. Very few chords were strummed. He also had a bad nervous twitch in his voice. But I was always looking for new songs---so that night I took my heavy old Webcor reel-to-reel tape recorder up to his room at the rather rundown transient serving Lincoln Hotel--on Fourth Street -- I think it was. My aunt and uncle had very little tolerance for my forays out to record people I found, and when they heard Lee Quiggins, well, they named him the Unwashed Baritone and laughed about it (and at me) the rest of that summer. I was pretty pissed off, to say the least. ------

-----I think that was the summer I tried to convince unc's factory workers to start a union---something Uncle Bud never really forgave me for. (Actually, I always thought he had moved from De Kalb, Illinois to southern Indiana to try to avoid the unions.
But I digress.

Now, BOOTS RANDOLPH was a local star back then in Evansville---at a real tough dive called the Blue Bar on the street level of that hotel. Lee's room was on the second floor---and the din from the bar during one of Boots' sets was unbelievable. Making any tapes of Lee was close to impossible---until Boots Randolph's set was over with. So we had to hurry to finish before the next set started...

When I heard Lee up close that night I realized that these tapes weren't going to live up to my expectations---so I cut the session short, gave Lee some cash, thanked him, and left.

Ever since that night Boots Randolph and his Yakety Sax have had a warm place in my heart. I hope he rests in peace.

Those tapes deteriorated over the years. I did manage to dub off a cassette sometime in the 1980s. With the help of the Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 that Jerry and Mudcatters sent me I was able to put Lee onto a CD----something that I'm sure would've boggled his mind. I know that because it does that to MY mind--and that's for sure.

Thanks so much to all you Mudcatters. And farewell to Boots!!

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: goatfell
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:10 AM

yakty sax was one of the theme tunes for Benny Hill

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: goatfell
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:11 AM

So sorry to here that he's away. RIP

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:57 AM

Great post Art.

In school I was so inspired listening to the "greats" like Coltrane and Webster that I laughed off Boots as a commercial buffoon........ah, the know it all attitude that can only be seen in youth. I wanted to be Plas Johnson perhaps, but never Boots.

He had real respect among other players that was often overlooked by idiots like myself. Most of us I hope eventually learned.

Thanks for the great music and for the lesson in life. Rest easy Boots.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: BanjoRay
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 06:24 AM

Yakety Sax was a superb record - it's a real pity the pathetic Benny Hill ever got hold of it.
Boots Randolph was brilliant.
Ray

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: katlaughing
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 11:15 AM

Thanks for the story, Art. We'd like more, always more!

RIP, Yakety Sax.

kat

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: SINSULL
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 11:30 AM

Mea Culpa, Spaw. I was mesmerized by Miles Davis and sent Yakkity Sax back when it arrived as a monthly offering from Columbia Records - a reel-to-reel tape. I hated it.
In retrospect, I wish I had it now.
RIP
SINS

Subject: RE: Obit: Homer Louis 'Boots' Randolph (3 July 07)
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 11:36 AM

To me Boots only stayed in my memory from the incident I recounted above. That BLUE BAR really was a low-life place. But Mr. Randolph was a pro who had staying power--I'll give him that--and a bit more.

Art