Jimmy Castor, Funk Saxophonist Sampled by Numerous Rappers, Dead at 64

Gilles Petard, Redferns

Jimmy Castor, an acclaimed disco-funk saxophonist whose classic horn lines have been sampled by such hip-hop artists as Kanye West, N.W.A. and Eric B. and Rakim, died Monday, Jan. 16 in Las Vegas of unknown causes, Prefix reports. He was 64.

Born in New York City in 1947, Castor is best known for leading the disco-era group the Jimmy Castor Bunch, whose 'Troglodyte (Cave Man)' was a No. 4 R&B hit in 1972. Prior to forming that outfit, he played with numerous bands, and in the late '50s, he found his initial success as a singer, taking over for Frankie Lymon in the doo-wop group the Teenagers.

While 'Troglodyte' was his highest-charting single, another 1972 tune, 'It's Just Begun,' has perhaps proved his most enduring. The tune has been sampled by dozens of hip-hop artists, and it appears in the memorable breakdancing scene from the 1983 film 'Flashdance.'