Sax player
Steve Douglas was born Steven Douglas Kreisman in Hollywood in 1938. After serving briefly in the Navy in the Drum and Bugle Corps,
Douglas began his musical career recording and touring with
Duane Eddy in the '50s. Extensive session work followed; not only did
Douglas have a lengthy association with
Phil Spector and
the Wrecking Crew, but he appeared on countless surf and hot rod recordings with everyone from
the Beach Boys (on the landmark
Pet Sounds) and
Jan & Dean to many faceless studio bands, created to capitalize on the craze with a quick album or single.
The '70s and '80s saw
Douglas performing with
Bob Dylan,
Mink Deville,
Mickey Hart,
Ry Cooder, and even
the Ramones on the
Phil Spector production
End of the Century.
Steve Douglas passed away on April 19, 1993, while warming up for a
Ry Cooder session.
Anyone who has listened to classic rock radio has heard the sax playing of
Steve Douglas. As a result of his contributions,
Steve Douglas was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
–
Sean Westergaard, Rovi