Oliver Sain

Oliver Sain Jr. (March 1, 1932 – October 28, 2003) was an American saxophonist, songwriter, bandleader, drummer and record producer, who was an important figure in the development of rhythm and blues music, notably in St Louis, Missouri.

Biography He was born in Dundee, Mississippi, the grandson of Dan Sane, the guitarist in Frank Stokes' Memphis blues act the Beale Street Sheiks. (The spelling discrepancy was the result of a birth certificate error.) He played trumpet and drums as a child. In 1949, he moved to Greenville, Mississippi, to join his stepfather, pianist Willie Love, as a drummer in a band fronted by Sonny Boy Williamson, soon leaving to join Howlin’ Wolf where he acted as a drummer intermittently for the following decade. After returning from the United States Army draft, serving in the Korean War, he returned to Greenville, and took up the saxophone to rejoin Love in Little Milton's backing band. "Party Hearty", taken from his 1975 album Blue Max, reached number 16 on the R&B chart, and its flip side, "She's a Disco Queen", bubbled under the Hot 100. Sain's recordings, including "Bus Stop'", also became successful in British clubs (though it did not reach the UK singles chart), as a result of which he toured in the UK. His final R&B chart entry in the US came with "Feel Like Dancin'" in 1977. In 1986 and 1987, Sain toured Europe with former Kings of Rhythm members Clayton Love, Billy Gayles, Stacy Johnson and Robbie Montgomery (one of The Ikettes) as part of the St. Louis Kings of Rhythm. They were officially appointed as ambassadors for the City of St. Louis by Mayor Vincent Schoemehl. Sain continued to perform and to undertake studio work despite being diagnosed with bladder cancer in the mid-1990s, and is credited with discovering local singer Kim Massie.

Sain died on October 28, 2003, from bone cancer, which had metastasized from his bladder.