Grammy-Winning Saxophonist Plas Johnson, Known for ‘Pink Panther,’ Dies at 94
Plas Johnson, the jazz saxophonist whose tenor saxophone solo defined the iconic ‘Pink Panther’ theme, passed away on July 15 at the age of 94. His death was reported by Los Angeles radio station KKJZ.
The son of a professional saxophonist, Johnson specialised in jump-blues and R&B before becoming a highly respected session musician. He performed with legends including Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Barbra Streisand.
Johnson's most famous contribution was to the 1963 film ‘The Pink Panther’. Composer Henry Mancini wrote the slinky theme specifically for Johnson, whose saxophone solo leads the piece before the full horn section enters. The theme won a Grammy Award.
A member of the renowned Los Angeles session group The Wrecking Crew, Johnson was among the first-call musicians for producers and record executives. The group was valued for its versatility and ability to record hits efficiently with minimal rehearsal.
In a 2008 documentary, Johnson highlighted the lack of recognition for session musicians. He noted that their names were sometimes omitted from records to protect the egos of the featured bands. ‘Worse than not getting the money to play on the hit record, which sold a million copies, was not even have your name on them. And they go dig some white kids up out of high school and put them on the road and call them the name,’ he said.
Born in Louisiana, Johnson also spent 15 years as a member of the band on ‘The Merv Griffin Show’, a popular television talk show.
