About Plas Johnson
Plas John Johnson Jr. () (July 21, 1931 – July 15, 2026) was an American soul-jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist, probably most widely known as the tenor saxophone soloist on Henry Mancini’s "The Pink Panther Theme". He also performed on alto and baritone sax as well as various flutes and clarinets. == Life and career == Plas John Johnson Jr. was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, United States on July 21, 1931. He sang with his family's group until his saxophonist father bought him a soprano saxophone. Largely self-taught, he soon began playing alto and later tenor saxophone. He and his pianist brother Ray first recorded as the Johnson Brothers in New Orleans in the late 1940s. He first toured with R&B singer Charles Brown in 1951. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he and his brother moved to Los Angeles in 1954, and he soon began session recordings as a full-time musician, backing artists such as B.B. King and Johnny Otis as well as scores of other R&B performers.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.