Obituaries

Plas Johnson, the saxophone behind 'The Pink Panther,' dies at 94

NPR | By Zephyr Weinreich,

Jason Fuller, Janaya Williams

Published July 22, 2026 at 3:58 PM EDT

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Plas Johnson, the saxophonist behind "The Pink Panther Theme," has died at 94. We remember the Hollywood session legend whose playing shaped decades of music.