Saxophonist Ralph Carney has died, a representative for his nephew—Patrick Carney of the Black Keys—confirmed to Pitchfork. The Ohio native, who got his start in the mid 1970s as part of the Akron band Tin Huey, collaborated with artists including Tom Waits, the B-52s, the Black Keys, St. Vincent, and others. Carney’s work also includes collaborations with Jim Jarmusch and Galaxie 500. He passed away peacefully surrounded by family at a hospital in Portland. He was 61. “Our family and friends are all devastated,” Patrick Carney wrote in a statement. “He was an immensely talented musician, deeply thoughtful and funny. He will be missed by many. He inspired me. Without him I never would have listened to the music I do or even considered playing it.” He concluded, “We are all heartbroken. I’ll miss you Ralph.”
Ralph Carney performed on Waits’ studio albums Rain Dogs (1985), Bone Machine (1992) and Black Rider (1993). He also contributed horns to the B-52s’ songs “Mesopotamia” and “Whammy.” In recent years, he was perhaps best known for collaborating with his nephew Patrick. The pair composed the opening theme song to the hit Netflix series “Bojack Horseman,” a theme on which Carney’s horn took front and center. Back in 2016, the two discussed the theme’s creation for the “Song Exploder” podcast.
