Eugene Ayers 'Gene' 'King Saxe' Walker

Eugene “Gene” Ayers Walker was born February 14, 1938, in Columbus, Ohio. A product of the Columbus Public Schools, Gene attended Garfield Elementary, Champion Junior High School, and graduated from East High School, where he was an award winning member of the track and swim teams. Gene earned a Bachelor of Music from The Ohio State University School of Music, from which he also retired in 2001. Gene was an internationally known jazz and blues saxophonist. He was a member of the backup band for The Beatles when they toured the United States in 1965. Gene also played with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, Brook Benton, Wilson Pickett, Etta Jones, The Platters, The Drifters, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Nancy Wilson, Lloyd Price, King Curtis, Sean Carney, and Neil Diamond. Gene was proud of his Columbus roots and felt privileged to have performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Town Hall. He toured internationally and was featured at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (London, England), North Sea Jazz Festival (The Hague, Holland), Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, and at various venues in Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Paris, France, Brussels, and Belgium. Gene received many honors during his career, including eleven Grammy nominations for his album, “Last Night In Manhattan.” He was honored with The King Arts Complex Legends Award, and as an Inductee to The Lincoln Theatre Walk of Fame, and the Champion Junior High School Hall of Champions. He received awards for his service as a distinguished member of both the International Association of Jazz Educators, and the National Black Music Caucus. His community involvement also included working with Music In The Air, Artists in Schools, SCAT, Jazz and Eggs, Listen For The Jazz All Stars, and Jamey Aebersold’s Jazz Clinics. On July 21, 2014, at the age of 76, Gene departed this life while at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. He was preceded in death by his wife, Regina Jameson Walker, parents, William Stewart Walker and Lena Mae Ayers Harrington, sister Gail L. Walker, and grandparents, Charles and Burnetta Banks and Emmett and Harriett Walker. He leaves to cherish his life’s memories, daughters, Reena Walker and Melody Walker; sisters, Arlene Carter and Joyce Myers; brother, Michael Walker; grandsons, Preston Pearson and William Pearson; stepchildren, Edna Messick, Leonard Parker, Jr., and Michael Smith; sister-in-law, Sharlene Jameson; brother-in-law, Walter Jameson, Jr. ; special aunt, Dr. Rebecca Boyd; and a host of aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.