Photo: Sean Birmingham / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What strikes me about Bobby Keys is how he turned the saxophone into a kind of passport. Born in Slaton, Texas, in 1943, he ended up playing on records by the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, George Harrison, Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton, which is a guest list most session players only dream about. To me that says less about luck and more about being the right voice in the room time after time. He died in 2014, but those horn parts are baked into so much of 1970s rock that you've almost certainly heard him without knowing his name. I find that quietly remarkable.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bobby Keys
- Name (Japanese)
- ボビー・キーズ
- Reading
- ぼびー・きーず
- Born
- December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Goat
- Origin
- Slaton, Texas, United States
- Occupation
- musician / saxophonist / animator
2. Background
- High school
- Lubbock High School
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Bobby Keys born?
December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014.
Where is Bobby Keys from?
Bobby Keys is from Slaton, Texas, United States.
What does Bobby Keys do?
Bobby Keys works as musician, saxophonist, animator.
Musician — see all → · Saxophonist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.