Overview
- Johnson died on July 15 at his Los Angeles home, his children confirmed and multiple outlets published obituaries and tributes.
- Henry Mancini wrote the 1963 'Pink Panther' theme with Johnson in mind and the recorded tenor sax solo became an improvised, Grammy-winning signature for the film.
- Johnson was a mainstay of the Los Angeles studio scene known as the Wrecking Crew and played on sessions for artists from Frank Sinatra to the Beach Boys.
- He released more than a dozen albums under his own name, played nightly jazz dates through later life, and continued performing into his 90s.
- Colleagues and family praised his warm tone and phrasing while coverage has noted how one famous solo often outshone the decades of largely uncredited studio work that shaped film and pop records.