According to the French Wikipedia, on February 7, 1894—117 years ago today—the man who invented our beloved instruments passed away. Now depending on which resource you read, Sax’s date of death varies anywhere between the 3rd and 7th of February. Since he died in France, I’ve opted to go with the date noted in the French Wiki.
No matter which date you choose to believe, Adolphe Sax has most assuredly passed away. He certainly is not alive and working in Elvis’ band. 😉
Adolphe Sax was interred in Paris, France. According to the photos on the website Find A Grave, the Sax family tomb is located in Division 5 of the Cimetiere de Montmartre.
Photographs both on Find A Grave and Flickr, show that this tomb is anything but forgotten. Adolphe Sax’s contribution to the music world continues to be an inspiration which draws people to his grave. There they might leave flowers, or even a note.
One such note was captured by Canadian, Francis Mariani, who shot this photo in 2008, of a thank you by Canadian saxophonists.
Adolphe Sax, Merci!
Photography by: designwallah Source: Flickr
I believe the world would be a much more boring place musically, had Sax never invented the saxophone. So on this, the 117th anniversary of Adolphe Sax’s passing, I raise a glass and toast the man who forever changed the musical landscape with his brilliance.
Thank you Adolphe for the gift of the sax. You likely never dreamed your instrument would be this successful. 
