Plas Johnson, the saxophonist behind the iconic theme song for the 1963 film “The Pink Panther,” died on July 15. He was 94.
Johnson’s children, Eric and Stephanie, confirmed his passing with the New York Times, sharing with the outlet that the musician died at his home in Los Angeles, Calif. last week. Per his family, Johnson was still actively performing, having recently performed at his retirement community a month prior. A cause of death was not shared.
Born Plas John Johnson Jr. in Donaldsonville, La. on July 21, 1931, he was the middle child of three kids in a family that loved music. He was gifted a soprano saxophone at the age of 12, which is when he first began receiving lessons. Johnson soon tackled larger saxophones, including the alto, tenor and baritone instruments, and even eventually learned to play the clarinet and flute.
By the time he was a teenager, Johnson was performing in New Orleans, which led to him joining the touring band of R&B singer Charles Brown. Though, this gig was interrupted when he was drafted into the army, where he performed in the military band.
By the mid-1950s, Johnson had settled down in Los Angeles, where he found success in studio ensembles. Through this work, he recorded theme songs for TV shows like “The Monkees,” “Mannix” and “The Odd Couple.”
Additionally, he played with a number of famous singers, including Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Ella Fitzgerald and Marvin Gaye.
Not only did Johnson play the piccolo solo on Bobby Day’s 1958 track “Rockin’ Robin,” but he also worked on The Beach Boys’ celebrated album “Pet Sounds” from 1966. Fans of “The Merv Griffin Show” will likely recognize Johnson from his 15-year stint in host Merv Griffin’s house band.
However, it’s likely his work on the theme of “The Pink Panther,” written by Henry Mancini for the Blake Edwards-directed detective comedy starring Peter Sellers, that he’s best known for. In fact, Johnson notably recorded a new version of the theme song for the 2006 remake starring Steve Martin.
In addition to his aforementioned children, Johnson is survived by his wife of 60 years Carol, their son Philip, three other children from his first marriage, named Cheryl, David and Denise, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
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