Plas Johnson, saxophonist behind Pink Panther theme, dies at 94

Jazz saxophonist Plas Johnson, best known for playing the Grammy-winning theme to The Pink Panther, has died at the age of 94. Los Angeles radio station KKJZ reported that he died on July 15.

Johnson, the son of a professional saxophonist, specialised in jump-blues and R&B before becoming a respected live and studio session player. Over the years, he worked with musicians including Frank Sinatra, Nat 'King' Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Barbra Streisand.

His saxophone solo became closely linked with Henry Mancini's theme for the 1963 film The Pink Panther, alongside Peter Sellers' performance as Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The tune was written by Mancini for Johnson, whose style had already won attention through his work with The Wrecking Crew, a group of Los Angeles-based session musicians regularly chosen by producers and record executives.

The musicians in the group were known for their versatility and for recording successful tracks with very little practice. In a 2008 documentary on The Wrecking Crew, Johnson said it was common for his work to go uncredited and unpaid. He said session musicians' names were sometimes left off records to protect a band's egos, and that in some cases session musicians would create a sound before a band was later found to front the music.

'Worse than not getting the money to play on the hit record, which sold a million copies, was not even having 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,' Johnson said.

Born in Louisiana, Johnson also spent 15 years in the band of The Merv Griffin Show, a popular television talk show. He is remembered for the Pink Panther theme and for a long career as a session musician who worked with some of the biggest names in music.