"Stranger" Don Markham has passed on

Gary Hoetker · Post by **Gary Hoetker** » 25 Feb 2017 10:26 am

The long time and talented horn player has died in Bakersfield at 84. He was featured in several of Merle's hits like "Its All In The Movies" and Let's Stay Here and Drink". Merle and Markham were apparently simpatico. In the newspaper story, Merle said paraphrased..... Don was his last real buddy. There's a wonderful picture in the paper showing Markham (on guitar at that time), Don Rich, Loretta Lynn and Buck Owens performing on a Country TV show in Tacoma. WA around 1959. I'll work on copying it for a future post. Services are scheduled in Bakersfield on March 7 at Kern River Mortuary. How fitting it is.

Michael Johnstone · Post by **Michael Johnstone** » 25 Feb 2017 9:03 pm

Played a few gigs with Don in the late 70s/early 80s around Bakersfield and L.A.. You don't run across too many country sax players. R.I.P.

Everybody's dyin'. What's up with that?

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 27 Feb 2017 8:52 am

He was a great Bus driver too!. RIP DON. Frank Mull sends his love for you too as I.

Ron Page · Post by **Ron Page** » 2 Mar 2017 8:49 am

He sure brought a lot to Hag's music. The Live at Billy Bob's Texas CDs are a good example. IMO, those recordings top the originals, in part because of the addition of Don's horns and also the fiddles.

RIP Don.