MARKHAM, DON

Homebase: Tacoma / Oildale, CA
Stats: 1931-2017
Misc Notes: Don Markham was a saxophonist who was active on the Tacoma music scene back in the 1950s when he played gigs with Buck Owens. He later worked his way into Bakersfield, California's country music scene. Around 1972 he joined Owens' Bakersfield Brass ensemble. That same year Markham joined Johnny Paycheck's band, but in 1974 jumped ship to join Merle Haggard's band. Along the way, Markham also worked with The Ventures, recording Nokie Edwards' "Night Run" in 1960 for that band's Blue Horizon label, and as credited to The Marksmen. Upon his passing in 2017, an old friend told bakersfield.com: “He could play anything. He could play country, he could play jazz, he could play Dixieland, he could play rock. He played it all and could play saxophone, trumpet, bass, keyboards, probably guitar. He’d come in, pick up a horn and he was off and running, doing a brilliant solo. Then he’d put the horn down and walk off the stage like it was nothing, while we were still playing.”
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