Marshall Royal; Sax Player With Count Basie

Marshall Royal, the lead saxophonist with Count Basie after Basie formed a new band in 1951 and a veteran of such venues as New York’s Cotton Club and Los Angeles’ Paramount and Shubert theaters, has died.

A family spokeswoman said he was 82 when he died Monday of cancer in Culver City.

A native of Oklahoma, Royal studied violin and guitar as well as the reed instruments and gave his first professional performance at age 13.

In 1930 Royal was featured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra in the movie “Check and Double Check.” During the 1930s and early ‘40s he also worked with the Les Hite and Lionel Hampton bands. After serving as a Navy musician during World War II, he joined Eddie Heywood.

Royal was a studio musician on the West Coast when Basie hired him, and for the next 20 years he worked as music director, section leader and soloist for what many consider the greatest big band ever.

More recently he recorded with Bill Berry, Dave Frishberg, Ray Anthony, Snooky Young and the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut.

Royal was at the Shubert for the nine-month run of “Sophisticated Ladies” in 1983 and was heard on the soundtracks of “Blazing Saddles” and “Lady Sings the Blues.”

Survivors include a son, daughter, nephews and cousins.