Legendary jazz saxophonist Plas Johnson, best known for his iconic performance on The Pink Panther theme song, has died at the age of 94. The news of his passing has left fans and members of the music fraternity in shock.
According to People, Johnson died on Wednesday, July 15, at his home in Los Angeles. His death was confirmed by his children, Eric Johnson and Stephanie Oliver.
Plas Johnson passes away
Tributes have been pouring in across social media following Plas Johnson’s death. Born on July 21, 1931, in Donaldsonville, Georgia, USA. He died just a week before his 95th birthday.
Harmonica player and record producer Bob Corritore remembered Plas Johnson and paid a heartfelt tribute in a Facebook post. Along with a picture of Johnson, he wrote, “I just heard that we lost saxophone master Plas Johnson. July 21, 1931 to July 15, 2026 (94 years old). Best known for his famous sax part on the Pink Panther theme, his mid 1950s sides were raw, rockin’ jump blues instrumentals! The one time that I met him and tried to talk to him about those sides, which I find to be excellent, he dismissed them as primitive and beneath the Jazz eloquence that he later achieved. He was blessed with a warm, full tone and beautiful phrasing that he carried with him his whole life. A musician’s musician. RIP (sic).” Take a look below:
Over a period of his illustrious career, Johnson worked with legendary musicians including Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Barbra Streisand and Ella Fitzgerald. His famous saxophone music and studio performances were for films like The Pink Panther, Touch of Evil, Field of Dreams, Last Summer, The Meal, and White Lightning.
Plas Johnson played the iconic saxophone in The Pink Panther theme
For the unversed, Plas Johnson played the iconic saxophone solo in Henry Mancini’s The Pink Panther theme for the 1963 film. The memorable tune was written by American composer Henry Mancini. The live-action comedy The Pink Panther was directed by Blake Edwards. It features David Niven, Peter Sellers and Robert Wagner in key roles.
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