Don Myrick
1948 – July 30, 1993
Saxophonist Don Myrick was the section leader for the Phenix Horns, Esq and lent his talents to hit recordings by Earth, Wind & Fire and Phil Collins during the ’70s and early ’80s. Prior to his seven years with Earth, Wind & Fire, Myrick played witht he likes of Bobby “Blue” Bland, Stanley Turrentine, Grover Washington Jr., and Carlos Santana. In 1978, Myrick won a Best Instrumental Grammy for his superb playing on Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Runnin’.” Myrick also had a drug problem that lead to his tragic death in 1993. While serving a warrent on a drug investigation, an LAPD officer knocked on Myrick’s apartment door. After no answer, the officer entered the home with a key provided by the property manager to find Myrick standing there with what he believed to be a weopen in his hand. The officer immediately shot and killed Myrick who was actually holding a barbeque lighter. A search of the apartment apparently turned up a small amount of crack cocaine. Two years later, Myrick’s widow was awarded $400,000 in a wrongful death suit against the City of Los Angeles.