As a child in St. Louis, Missouri, Reggie Lafaye first became interested in playing the saxophone in a most unusual way. His mother and father had taken him to see the Pink Panther - he loved the introduction in the opening of the movie and asked his mom what the instrument was making that awesome sound. She replied, “The saxophone.” Reggie worked all summer mowing lawns and bought his very first sax at the young age of 11. Just four years later, he and fellow musicians were playing private parties, weddings, the Admiral Showboat, The Cervantes Center and other venues they could book considering his young age. His early career was abruptly cut short in 1969. The US was in the middle of the Viet Nam war and Reggie proudly put his Saxophone aside to provide relief and medical aid to the troops overseas as a Corpsman in the U.S. Navy.

After an Honorable Discharge in ’71, Reggie returned to his first love, his Saxophone. Reggie is a completely self-taught musician; he listened to everything and every sax player both old and new. He lists Stan Getz, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Bennie Goodman, the late Boots Randolph, Charlie Parker, David Sanborn and Tom Scott (just to mention a few) as his unknowing mentors. By the time he finally enrolled in a formal music program at 28, his distinctive smooth sax style was inarguably his signature.

In 1976 Reggie went through another transforming change in his life by finding Jesus Christ as his personal savior, on November 23, through a Billy Graham Thanksgiving eve spiritual invocation. Little did he know, six years later, he would perform with Dr. Billy Graham at a Southern Baptist Seminary conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

He has four Christian albums, a Christmas album, and his latest work, My Passion to his credit. He has been guest evangelist, and musician to over one thousand churches across America. He has performed in penitentiaries, high schools, colleges nursing homes, delivering a power packed music and message. He has been a guest on radio and T.V. stations through out the United States. Reggie is affectionately known as, Mr. Gospel Sax.

I asked Reggie to describe the defining moment in his career. He recounted an incident in 1978 when he entered the B. B. King Theater in Memphis Tennessee armed only with his saxophone. B. B. King was playing and had heard about Reggie through one of his side musicians. During the last half of the show, Mr. King invited Reggie on stage. “I played everything I had in me – spitfire fingering with riffs and trills that I don’t think were even written yet. Mr. King looked at me and said, “Man oh man that was terrific, ‘Son, can you play just one real pretty note?’ Not quite sure how to take that, I put everything into the sax and what came out was what he was looking for. King exclaimed, “Ahh, now that’s music!” And for the next 30 years, Reggie focused on the beautiful melodic passion that the saxophone brings to life.

His resume includes a 1982 musician of the year by CAPA for an arrangement of The Lord’s Prayer. In 1985 he was an opening act at Twitty City in Hendersonville, Tennessee and in 2008 in Branson, Missouri, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Nashville, Tennessee. He hosted the TV show Music Magazine, which highlighted the very talented musicians behind the stars. With a fresh, smooth sax spin on your old Christmas favorites, Reggie broadened his listening base.

He’s played from coast to coast and along with headlining his own show, he’s opened for the big hitters on music’s Who’s Who list (Pat Boone, Little Richard, Reba McIntyre, the Mandrells, Conway Twitty, Roy Rogers, Lee Greenwood, Loretta Lynn, Lynn Anderson, Terry McMillan, Brent Mason, etc.) He has headlined his own show at Caesar Palace, The MGM Grand, The famous Landmark Hotel, and The Gold Nugget, so many other venues in all 50 states including Hawaii.

His latest CD, My Passion, is the culmination of 47 years of musical passion and exposes the depth to which Reggie lives and plays. Listening to the CD you feel the joy of new life, the pain of loss and ultimately the gift of peace and new beginnings. In the 17 years that I’ve been following Reggie’s career, My Passion, seems to define poignantly the man behind the saxophone.

By Sue Phillips, Entertainment News Now
Seattle, Washington

Publication 2008