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Maurice Reedus Jr. (January 19, 1953 – April 16, 2018), better known as the Sax Man, was an American
saxophone 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 ...
player and
street performer Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
based in
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
. For more than 17 years, Reedus played an alto saxophone outside Playhouse Square and Cleveland sporting events. A documentary about his life and career, ''The Sax Man'', directed by Joe Siebert, premiered at the 2014
Cleveland International Film Festival The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF) is an annual film festival based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the largest film festival in Ohio. It was first held in 1977, showing eight films over a period of eight weeks at the Cedar Lee Theatre. It ...
. Reedus was the oldest of six children born to Maurice Reedus Sr. and his wife. His father played saxophone for
Robert Lockwood Jr. Robert Lockwood Jr. (March 27, 1915 – November 21, 2006) was an American Delta blues guitarist, who recorded for Chess Records and other Chicago labels in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the only guitarist to have learned to play directly fr ...
for thirty-five years, and Reedus Jr. grew up desiring to follow suit. In 2013, Reedus received two tickets from police for playing without a license or a permit, which prompted City Councilman
Joe Cimperman Joe Cimperman (born circa 1970) is an American Democratic politician who served as a member of the Cleveland City Council of Cleveland, Ohio, representing near-west side neighborhoods from 1997 to 2016. He had previously been chairman of the ...
to push for legislation in favor of Reedus. In July 2013, the
Cleveland City Council Cleveland City Council is the legislative branch of government for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Its chambers are located at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside Avenue, across the street from Public Auditorium in Downtown Cleveland. Cleveland Ci ...
passed the Street Performers Ordinance, also known as the Sax Man Legislation, which explicitly allows "acting, singing, playing musical instruments, pantomime, juggling, magic, dancing, reciting and clowning" on Cleveland streets for money. Days later, Reedus played a reunion concert with his former band, Sly, Slick and Wicked, at the Cleveland
House of Blues House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at H ...
, where Cimperman presented him with the legislation. Philip Morris of ''
The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of Ma ...
'', Cleveland's daily newspaper, described Reedus as "the best known street musician to ever call this city home." Joe Siebert called him "a fixture in the city", noting his many years of playing on the streets and the fame he has garnered among Cleveland locals. Reedus died on April 16, 2018, at the age of 65.


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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Man, Sax 1953 births 2018 deaths American street performers American male saxophonists Musicians from Cleveland 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century American saxophonists