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Plas Johnson, saxophonist for ‘Pink Panther Theme,’ dies at 94
Summary by The Atlanta Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk , WSB-TV (ABC) - News
· July 22, 2026
· 3 min read
Plas Johnson, a Hollywood studio musician whose tenor saxophone solo memorably opened the credits to the 1963 film “ The Pink Panther ,” died on July 15. He was 94. Read more trending news Johnson died at his home in Los Angeles, The New York Times reported. The musician’s children, Eric Johnson ...
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Summary created by The Atlanta Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Original reporting Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk, WSB-TV (ABC) - News Original story Read at the source Source published Jul 22, 2026 Indexed here Jul 22, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway Henry Mancini plays the iconic "Pink Panther Theme" in 1983, with Plas Johnson (the original saxophone soloist who recorded the song) and the Terry Gibbs band.
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Original reporting by WSB-TV (ABC) - News . The Atlanta surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: local ·
Published: July 22, 2026 ·
Source: WSB-TV (ABC) - News ·
Reading time: 3 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Plas Johnson, a Hollywood studio musician whose tenor saxophone solo memorably opened the credits to the 1963 film “ The Pink Panther ,” died on July 15. He was 94. Read more trending news Johnson died at his home in Los Angeles, The New York Times reported. The musician’s children, Eric Johnson ...
When was this published? This article was first published on July 22, 2026 by WSB-TV (ABC) - News and curated for The Atlanta readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk at WSB-TV (ABC) - News. To learn more about how The Atlanta selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Atlanta, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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