Caprock Chronicles: Slaton’s Bobby Keys: Sax rock ‘n’ roll’s legendary wild man, Part 2

Editor’s Note: Caprock Chronicles are edited by Jack Becker, Librarian Emeritus, Texas Tech Librarian, who can be reached at jack.becker@ttu.edu. This week’s article about Slaton’s Bobby Keys is the second of a two-part series by frequent contributor Chuck Lanehart, Lubbock attorney and award-winning Western history writer.

Bobby Keys, the legendary rock saxophonist from the small Texas town of Slaton, was perhaps best known for his hard-partying lifestyle. In his autobiography, he described his “let’s-see-how-much-LSD-we-can-take-and-see-if-we-sound-like-the-Beatles” period.

Busted for selling pot in California, he spent a month in jail and completed a year of probation. Along with Ringo Star, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon, he participated in John Lennon's infamous "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles, 18 months of outrageous sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll bad behavior.

Renowned rock drummer Jim Kelton was one of Bobby’s best friends. “He was funny and very smart and always bordering on being in terrible trouble.”

He struggled with heroin addiction, which contributed to his departure from the Rolling Stones in the mid-1970s, following his notorious champagne bath with a French model. After recovery, he re-established his Texas roots.

Bobby returned to Lubbock and played with a local group, Ace Liquidators. “I thought they’d be lined up around the block. They weren’t even lined up around the door jam. They don’t give a damn, they could care less,” he said of the Hub City music scene.

He left Lubbock for Austin, which was “a whole ‘nother kettle of fish, where they like musicians, they promote music.

I met Joe Ely.” Ely — acclaimed Lubbock musician and songwriter — invited Bobby to go out on the road. “It was a big change,” Bobby said. “Six guys in a van pulling a trailer and none of them smoked pot except me.”

Ely fondly remembers touring with Bobby and was amused the sax player seemed to have an ex-wife in every town they visited. “I can’t remember a time in my life I had more fun than being on the road with Bobby,” said Ely.

In the early 1980’s, the Stones were rehearsing for another tour, and Keith Richards wanted Bobby back in the band. Mick Jagger was opposed, remembering Bobby’s bad behavior, champagne baths and hotel television tosses. Richards recalled, “I bought Bobby a [plane] ticket and said, ‘Just get your ass here. When we rehearse Brown Sugar, just sneak up and do the solo, man.’ When we did Brown Sugar, Bobby hit the solo, and then I looked at Mick like, ‘You see what I mean, Mick?’ And Mick looked at me and says, ‘Yeah, you can’t argue with that.’ Once he just played those few notes, there really was no question. So Mick relented and said, ‘Okay, let’s get Bob back in the band.’”

After re-joining the Stones in 1982, Bobby toured with the band for the balance of his career. “Bobby Keys was like the sixth Rolling Stone,” Richards said. His last gig — July of 2014 — was in Denmark as part of the Stones’ “14 on Fire” tour.

On Dec. 3, 2014, at age 70, Bobby died of liver disease at his home in Tennessee, survived by his wife Holly, two sons, a daughter and a stepson.

Richards wrote, “I have lost the largest pal in the world, and I can’t express the sense of sadness I feel, although Bobby would tell me to cheer up.” He said Bobby “should get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sooner or later. He’s one of the greats, you know. He was a mate of mine.”

He released two solo albums, “Bobby Keys” in 1972, featuring Ringo Starr, George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and “Gimme the Key” in 1975.

A selection of Bobby Keys’ other recordings:

• The Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Let It Rock EP (UK), Exile on Main St., Goats Head Soup, Emotional Rescue, Flashpoint, Stripped, No Security, Shine a Light, Live Licks, Sweet Summer Sun

• Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen

• George Harrison: All Things Must Pass

• John Lennon: Some Time in New York City, Walls and Bridges, Rock 'n' Roll

• Keith Richards: Talk Is Cheap, Live at the Hollywood Palladium

• Ringo Starr: Ringo, Goodnight Vienna

• Ronnie Wood: 1234, Gimme Some Neck, Mahoney's Last Stand

• B.B. King: B.B. King in London

• Barbra Streisand: Barbra Joan Streisand

• Carly Simon: No Secrets, Hotcakes

• Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll

• Delaney, Bonnie & Friends: The Original Delaney & Bonnie: Accept No Substitute, On Tour with Eric Clapton

• Donovan: Cosmic Wheels

• Dr. John: The Sun, Moon & Herbs

• Eric Clapton: Eric Clapton

• Faces: Long Player

• Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson, Son of Schmilsson, Pussy Cats, Duit on Mon Dei

• Warren Zevon: Warren Zevon

• Humble Pie: Rock On

• Joe Ely: Lord of the Highway, Joe Ely Live Chicago 1987

• John Hiatt: Beneath This Gruff Exterior

• Keith Moon: Two Sides of the Moon

• Leo Sayer: Endless Flight

• Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping

• John Lennon and Paul McCartney: A Toot and a Snore in '74

• John Lennon: Whatever Gets You thru the Night

• Marvin Gaye: Let's Get It On

• Sheryl Crow: The Globe Sessions

• Yoko Ono: Fly

• Graham Nash: Songs for Beginners

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Caprock Chronicles: Slaton’s Bobby Keys: Sax rock ‘n’ roll’s legendary wild man, Part 2