Bobby Keys, Who Played Saxophone For The Rolling Stones, Dies At 70

By Krishnadev Calamur / NPR

Published December 2, 2014 at 9:09 AM PST

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

Saxophonist Bobby Keys of The Rolling Stones performs at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., on Sept. 7, 2012.

Bobby Keys, the legendary saxophonist most associated with the Rolling Stones, has died. He was 70 years old.

The Associated Press quoted Michael Webb, who played keyboard with Keys, as saying the musician died Tuesday at his home in Franklin, Tenn., after a long illness. He had performed with the Stones earlier this year before his health prevented him from continuing on tour.

The Stones posted this message on Twitter:

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Stones guitarist Keith Richards, a longtime friend of Keys and who was born on the same day, Dec. 18, 1943, as the saxophonist, tweeted:

During the course of his career, Keys played with everyone from John Lennon to Eric Clapton, but it was work with the Stones for which he was most famous. His distinctive style on the saxophone can be best heard on songs like the Stones' classic "Brown Sugar." We'll leave you with a performance of that song from 1972.