Saxophone player Bobby Keys, who played with the Rolling Stones, dies

Saxophonist Bobby Keys, a lifelong rock 'n' roller who toured with Buddy Holly, played on recordings by John Lennon and laid down one of the all-time blowout solos on the Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar, has died. He was 70.

Michael Webb, who played keyboard with Keys, said Keys died on Tuesday at his home in Franklin, in the US state of Tennessee, after a long illness. Keys had been on tour with the Stones earlier this year before his health prevented him from performing.

"The Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys," the band said in a statement. "Bobby made a unique musical contribution to the band since the 1960s. He will be greatly missed."

Keys, one of the few rock saxophonists to become a name in his own right, was a heavy-set man with jowls to match and had a raw, piercing sound. The Lubbock, Texas, native was born the same day as Keith Richards - December 18, 1943 - and the Stones guitarist would often cite Keys as a soul mate and favourite musician. On Brown Sugar, he needed little time to seal his history with the band, which had decided a saxophone would work better than a guitar for the solo spotlight. "It was the first take," he would recall.

Keys also played memorable solos on such Stones favorites as the seven-minute jam Can't You Hear Me Knocking and the country-styled Sweet Virginia. Other career highlights included Lennon's chart-topping Whatever Gets You Through the Night.

"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," Richards said.