Donald Myrick (April 6, 1940 – July 30, 1993) was an American

saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

. A member of

The Phenix Horns , originally known as the EWF Horns, were the main horn section for the band Earth, Wind & Fire. The horn section were composed of Don Myrick on saxophone, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet, and Michael ...

, he is best known for his work with Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins. He played

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

, and

soprano sax The soprano saxophone is a higher-register variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument invented in the 1840s. The soprano is the third-smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists (from smallest to largest) of the soprillo, sop ...

as a member of

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...

's original horn section,

Phenix Horns , originally known as the EWF Horns, were the main horn section for the band Earth, Wind & Fire. The horn section were composed of Don Myrick on saxophone, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet, and Michael ...

, from 1975 through 1982. Previously, Myrick had been a member of the musical group The Pharaohs. Myrick is also credited as a founding member of the

Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1965 in Chicago by pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, pianist Jodie Christian, drummer Steve McCall, and composer Phil Cohran. The AACM is devote ...

(AACM) Some of his most famous saxophone solos include

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

' "All of My Life", " If Leaving Me Is Easy", and " One More Night", the latter featuring Myrick performing the sax solo in the official music video, filmed in a London pub. Another was the live recording of "Reasons", featured on the Earth Wind & Fire ''

Gratitude Gratitude, thankfulness, or gratefulness is from the Latin word ''gratus,'' which means "pleasing" or "thankful." Is regarded as a feeling of appreciation (or similar positive response) by a recipient of another's kindness. This can be gifts, h ...

'' album, and "

After the Love Has Gone "After the Love Has Gone" is a single by Earth, Wind & Fire released in 1979 on ARC/Columbia Records. The song reached No. 2 on both the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, behind The Knack's "My Sharona" and the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, No. ...

", from the album ''

I Am I Am or I'm may refer to: Language and literature * "I Am that I Am", a common English translation of the response God used in the Hebrew Bible when Moses asked for His name ** I am (biblical term), a Christian term used in the Bible * "I Am" (po ...

''. He performed with many prominent musicians, including

Grover Washington, Jr. Grover Washington Jr. (December 12, 1943 – December 17, 1999) was an American jazz-funk and soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with Wes Montgomery and George Benson, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. He wr ...

and

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

."Saxophonist Donald Myrick fatally shot in drug probe"
'' Jet'', August 23, 1993. Myrick appeared on records by artists including

Bobby "Blue" Bland Robert Calvin Bland (born Robert Calvin Brooks; January 27, 1930 – June 23, 2013), known professionally as Bobby "Blue" Bland, was an American blues singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B. He was descr ...

The Dells The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first r ...

Regina Belle Regina Elaine Belle (born July 17, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career in the mid-1980s. Known for her singles " Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle's most notable for two hit duets, both with ...

, the

Mighty Clouds of Joy The Mighty Clouds of Joy are an American traditional gospel music quartet. Joe Ligon Bio: Willie Joe Ligon was born on October 11, 1936, and died on December 11, 2016 (80 years, 2 months). He dedicated his life to Jesus making many hit songs ...

, and

Heaven 17 Heaven 17 are an English new wave and synth-pop band that formed in Sheffield in 1980. The band were a trio for most of their career, composed of Martyn Ware (keyboards) and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both previously of the Human League), an ...

. Earth, Wind & Fire's single "Runnin'" earned him the 1977/78

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best R&B Instrumental.

Early life

Myrick attended

Crane Junior College Malcolm X College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago, is a two-year college located on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded as Crane Junior College in 1911 and was the first of the City Colleges. Crane ceased operations at ...

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, where he was part of a band called The Jazzmen with

Louis Satterfield Louis Edward Satterfield (April 3, 1937 – September 27, 2004) was an American bassist and trombonist. Satterfield was a member of both The Pharaohs and the Phenix Horns. He also collaborated with prominent artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Mu ...

, who later joined him in the

, performing with

. Myrick and Satterfield played in

The Pharaohs The Pharaohs, an United States, American soul music, soul/jazz/funk group, were formed in 1962 out of a student band, The Jazzmen, at Malcolm X College, Crane Junior College in Chicago, Illinois. This early incarnation comprised Louis Satterfiel ...

, with musicians from

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll ...

, which included drummer

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter, and producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, and served as the ...

, who went on to found Earth, Wind & Fire.

Death

Myrick was killed in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

by a

Santa Monica Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

police officer during a narcotics investigation. While attempting to serve a

search warrant A search warrant is a court order that a magistrate or judge issues to authorize law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person, location, or vehicle for evidence of a crime and to confiscate any evidence they find. In most countries, ...

, police officer Gary Barbaro mistook a

butane lighter A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...

in Myrick's hand for a weapon. He fired a single bullet that hit Myrick in the chest. Myrick died in the hospital shortly afterward, aged 53. Following a funeral service at a Baptist church, his body was buried at

Inglewood Park Cemetery Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 East Florence Avenue in Inglewood, California, was founded in 1905. A number of notable people, including entertainment and sports personalities, have been interred or entombed there. History The proposed est ...

in Los Angeles County. Myrick was survived by his mother, Antoinette Myrick-Carr (now deceased), wife Barbara (now deceased), and three daughters: Shani, Lauren, Shirika Myrick, as well as a cousin, Elliot Myrick. In 1995, their

wrongful death Wrongful death claim is a claim against a person who can be held liable for a death. The claim is brought in a civil action, usually by close relatives, as enumerated by statute. In wrongful death cases, survivors are compensated for the harm, l ...

lawsuit against the city was settled for $400,000.Associated Press. "Lawsuit settled in Donald Myrick's death", August 4, 1995. The song "For a Friend" by

, released on the CD single "We Wait and We Wonder" in 1993, was a tribute to Myrick, who actively participated in Collins's songs and shows for many years. As a tribute,

Gary Bias Gary Bias is an American saxophonist, flutist and composer. Bias is a longtime member of the Earth, Wind & Fire Horns. Overview He born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Bias began playing the saxophone at the age of 11. He went on to attend ...

performs the saxophone solos that originated with Myrick at Earth, Wind & Fire's live shows.

Discography

; With

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...

: * ''

The Howlin' Wolf Album ''The Howlin' Wolf Album'' is the first studio album by Howlin' Wolf, released in 1969. It features members of Rotary Connection as his backing band. The album mixed blues with psychedelic rock arrangements of several of Wolf's classic songs. Howli ...

'' (1969) ; With Philip Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble: * ''The Malcolm X Memorial (A Tribute in Music)'' (1970) ; With

Donny Hathaway Donny Edward Hathaway (October 1, 1945 – January 13, 1979) was an American soul singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and arranger whom ''Rolling Stone'' described as a "soul legend". His most popular songs include " The Ghetto", "This Christmas ...

: * '' Everything Is Everything'' (1970) ; With

Odell Brown Odell Elliott Brown Jr. (February 2, 1940 – May 3, 2011) was an American jazz organist. He was active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, playing soul jazz and jazz funk with his backing band as Odell Brown & the Organ-Izers. Biography Brown was ...

: * ''Free Delivery'' (1970) ; With the Intentions : * ''Dig It / Blowing with the Wind'' – Single (1971) ; With

Jack McDuff Eugene McDuff (September 17, 1926 – January 23, 2001), known professionally as "Brother" Jack McDuff or "Captain" Jack McDuff, was an American jazz organist and organ trio bandleader who was most prominent during the hard bop and soul jazz era ...

: * ''

The Heatin' System ''The Heatin' System'' is a double album by organist Jack McDuff recorded in 1971 which was his fourth release on the Cadet Records, Cadet label and the first following his stint with Blue Note Records, Blue Note.Terry Callier Terrence Orlando "Terry" Callier (May 24, 1945 – October 27, 2012) was an American soul music, soul, Folk music, folk and jazz guitarist and singer-songwriter. Life and career Callier was born in the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and was r ...

: * ''What Colour Is Love'' (1972) * ''I Just Can't Help Myself'' (1973) ; With Charles Bevel: * ''Meet "Mississippi Charles" Bevel'' (1973) ; With Penny Goodwin: * ''Portrait of a Gemini'' (1974) ; With

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...

: * ''

Sun Goddess A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it. Such deities are usually associated with power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The ...

'' (1974) ; With

: * ''

That's the Way of the World ''That's the Way of the World'' is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 15, 1975 by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on bot ...

'' (1975) * ''

Spirit Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...

'' (1976) * ''

All 'n All ''All 'n All'' is the eighth studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in November 1977 by Columbia Records. The album reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. ...

'' (1977) * ''

'' (1979) * ''

Faces The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affe ...

'' (1980) * ''

Raise! ''Raise!'' is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the ''Billboard'' Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the ''Billboard'' ...

'' (1981) * ''

Powerlight ''Powerlight'' is the twelfth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in February 1983 by Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' Top R&B Albums chart and No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart. ''Powerlight' ...

'' (1983) * ''

The Eternal Dance ''The Eternal Dance'' is a compilation album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire issued in September 1992 on Columbia Records. Critical reception J.D. Considine of ''The Baltimore Sun'' declared that "though this set shows off all sides of the ...

'' (1992) – Compilation 3-CD boxset. * '' The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire'' (2002) - Compilation * '' Live in Rio'' (2002) * ''The Essential Plus'' (2004) – Compilation 2 CD + DVD * ''The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire'' (2008) – 3-CD Compilation limited edition ; With

The Emotions ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

: * ''

Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

'' (1976) * '' Rejoice!'' (1977) * ''

Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of particle-scattered sunl ...

'' (1978) * ''

Come Into Our World ''Come into Our World'' is a studio album by the girl group the Emotions issued in October 1979 on ARC/ Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 35 on the US Billboard Top Soul Albums chart and No. 36 on the UK Blues & Soul British Soul Albums c ...

'' (1979) * '' New Affair'' (1981) ; With

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

: * ''

'' (1979) ; With

: * ''

Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Howe ...

'' ("Missed Again", "If Leaving Me Is Easy" 1981) * '' Hello, I Must Be Going!'' ("I Cannot Believe It's True" 1982) * ''Live at Perkins Palace'' (1983) – VHS video * ''

No Jacket Required ''No Jacket Required'' is the third solo studio album by English drummer and singer-songwriter Phil Collins. It was originally released on 25 January 1985 or 18 February 1985 on Virgin Records, Virgin (UK and Ireland), Atlantic Records, Atlanti ...

'' ("One More Night", "Who Said I Would?", "Inside Out" 1985) * ''No Ticket Required"" (1985) – VHS video * '' ...But Seriously'' ("All of My Life" 1989) * '' Serious Hits... Live!'' (1990) * ''...But Seriously, The Videos'' (1992) – VHS video * '' ...Hits'' (1998) * '' The Platinum Collection'' (2004) – 3-CD box set * '' Love Songs: A Compilation... Old and New'' (2004) * ''Hits Live 1990–1997'' (2004) – DVD * '' The Singles'' (2016) ; With

Frida ''Frida'' is a 2002 American biographical drama film directed by Julie Taymor which depicts the professional and private life of the surrealist Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Starring Salma Hayek in an Academy Award–nominated portrayal as Kahl ...

: * ''

Something's Going On ''Something's Going On'' is the third solo album by Swedish singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida), one of the founding members of the Swedish pop group ABBA, and her first album recorded entirely in English. Her previous two albums had been recorded ...

'' (1982) – Album produced by Phil Collins, with Daryl Stuermer, Mo Foster, The Phenix Horns, etc. ; With

Philip Bailey Philip James Bailey (born May 8, 1951) is an American R&B, soul, gospel and funk singer, songwriter and percussionist, best known as an early member and one of the two lead singers (along with group founder Maurice White) of the band Earth, Wi ...

: * ''

The Wonders of His Love ''The Wonders of His Love'' is the second studio album by Philip Bailey released in 1984 on Myrrh Records. This was his first gospel album peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart and No. 17 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums ...

'' (1984) – Sax on ''I Will No Wise Cast You Out'' * ''

Chinese Wall A Chinese wall or ethical wall is an information barrier protocol within an organization designed to prevent exchange of information or communication that could lead to conflicts of interest. For example, a Chinese wall may be established to sepa ...

'' (1984) – with Phil Collins, Nathan East, The Phenix Horns, etc. * ''Chinese Wall / Inside Out'' (1988) – Double compilation album ; With

: * ''

How Men Are ''How Men Are'' is the third studio album by English synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 24 September 1984 by Virgin Records. The album peaked at No. 12 in the UK and was certified Silver (60,000 copies sold) by the BPI in October 1984. Three ...

'' (1984) * " This Is Mine" (1984) – Single * ''

Pleasure One ''Pleasure One'' is the fourth studio album by the English new wave music, new wave and synth-pop band Heaven 17, released on 17 November 1986 by Virgin Records. It was the band's last studio album chart entry within the UK Top 100. Background ...

'' (1986) ; With Shuybah: * ''Shuybah'' (1984) ; With

France Gall Isabelle Geneviève Marie Anne Gall (9 October 1947 – 7 January 2018), known professionally as France Gall, was a French ''yé-yé'' singer. In 1965, aged 17, she won the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg. Between 1973 and 1992, s ...

: * ''Le Tour de France'' (1988) ; Various artists: * ''Knebworth'' (1990) – Plays with Phil Collins Band on ''Sussudio'' * ''Live at Knebworth – Parts One, Two & Three'' (1990) – Plays with Phil Collins & The Serious Band on "In the Air Tonight" & "Sussudio" as well as with Genesis & The Serious Band on "Turn it on again Medley" * ''El DeBarge – In the Storm'' (1991) Plays on the tracks, "Cry (Musical Interlude)", "Love Me Tonight", and "You Know What I Like"

References

External links

* *
Phil Collins discography
at Discogs {{DEFAULTSORT:Myrick, Don 1940 births 1993 deaths Musicians from Chicago Malcolm X College alumni African-American saxophonists American male saxophonists Deaths by firearm in California African Americans shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery 20th-century American saxophonists 20th-century American male musicians The Pharaohs members 20th-century African-American musicians