That the saxophone found a place in rock & roll history is almost exclusively due to the ferocity of the contributions made by King Curtis Ousley to a host of barn-burning singles in the late 1950s, when he played sideman to the Coasters, for starters, and numerous other top R&B names of the era.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1934, King Curtis was steeped in gospel music at an early age, thanks to his father, who played guitar in a sanctified church band. He was all often years old when he heard Louis Jordan playing saxophone on the radio and found his life’s path suddenly made clear.