Saxophone player Boots Randolph – born Homer Randolph III in Paducah, Kentucky
on June 3, 1927 – was best known for his 1963 instrumental hit “Yakety Sax,”
which was later used to great effect on the UK comedy series The Benny Hill
Show. As a young child, he performed with his family band, who would enter
talent shows to earn money during the great depression. His musical career began
after high school when he served in the US Army at the end of WWII. There, he
played saxophone, vibraphone, and trombone in an army band until he was
discharged in 1946. He spent the rest of the 194...