By Susan Edmonston, Editor Emeritus
Protection has a celebrity among its residents, and many were not aware of him until Funfest 2026.
Kenneth “Ken” Rice was one of six entertainers who performed their music on Saturday evening, Aug. 28, and he was the oldest of them all.
Rice, 74, plays rhythm and blues, jazz and original music with a variety of saxophones: baritone, tenor, alto and soprano. His music is soothing – meaning it is relaxing, calming, reassuring, peaceful and tranquillizing.
Rice has a long list of his music on his YouTube channel – Ken Rice Simply Sax.
If you use the internet, type in Ken Rice Simply Sax. You will be amazed at the long list of his music on youtube.
Remember Kenny G, Boots Randolph, King Curtis – all professional saxophone players, and Rice can fit in with them all.
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame three times. The third time was when he was with the 70s band The Fabulous Flippers.
Because he volunteered to play his music at fundraisers in his community, he was awarded three President’s Call to Service Awards. Two letters of accommodations were signed by President Richard Nixon, while the other came from President Barack Obama.
Living in California
The Little Shop of Horns was his place of business in Temecula, Calif., which was 71 miles from San Diego. He owned and operated it for 24 years.
Rice was known for his horn repair work. He specialized in woodwind sales, lessons for adults and children and repairs.
During this time he began to collect sheet music, albums, saxophones, signatures from well-known musicians and books. He still has all of his collection.
Family
His parents were Kenneth “Harold” and Alethea Pearl Rice, of Great Bend, later moving to El Dorado. They were married for 62 years. Harold played basketball for K-State and surveyed the Kansas interstates and worked for Halliburton for 44 years. Alethea met Harold in Hugoton on her way to Chicago to become an opera singer. She married Harold six days after they met and became a housewife for 62 years. Harold passed away in 2011 – Alethea in 2023.
In 1955-56, his parents submitted a photo of their son in a Gerber Baby Food contest and that photo won the beauty contest.
Ken was their oldest child. His sister, Teresa, lives in Mulvane; one brother, Kevin, resides in El Dorado. His youngest brother Keith died two years ago. All four took piano lessons. Ken had a year of private lessons from Jerry Peak, of Great Bend.
In 1963, his dad took 12-year-old Ken to hear Duke Ellington, an American jazz pianist, composer and leader of his jazz orchestra from 1924 to 1974. Ellington signed a $1 bill for the youngster, which he later framed and is included with his other collectibles.
Rice was sitting next to Johnny Hodges, who was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington’s big band. Hodges made such a great impression on Rice that he began to practice his sax six to eight hours a day and/or listen to Boots Randolph music.
Entertaining During War
Rice began to play the saxophone when he was 11 years old. His sister had the French horn, Kevin the drums and Keith the trumpet.
In 1965, Ken wanted to play sax with the Fabulous Flippers but that didn’t happen until 1970 in Lawrence. They had a hit record titled the Harlem Shuffle. It sold a million copies. Then the Rolling Stones covered that song and won a whole lot more.
It was also in 1970 that Rice composed his very first song. It was called Someday Girl. He recorded it in Minneapolis in the same studio as Prince. Yes that Prince. He sang all the harmony and played all horn parts. This song was meant for Debbie, the girl from Coldwater to whom he had proposed to marry.
He joined the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He never fired a shot because a sergeant major walked by his tent one night and heard him quietly playing a saxophone. Then he introduced him to the general who came and asked if Rice could put a group together to entertain the troops, as well as improve good faith with the European nation.
Rice saluted and said, “yes.”
His music probably saved his life and all those who joined his band. The band is still together; it’s called 7th Signal Brigade Communicators out of Germany.
Albums
The four albums with his music are Past and Present, Night Flight, On the Verge and About Love.
In 1982, Frank Sinatra wanted some new songs so Rice composed 10 songs for him. He doesn’t think Sinatra ever used them, so Rice recorded and released them himself on the About Love album in 2023.
In 1994, Rice tried out, twice, for American Idol, with an a cappella singing rendition of Nature Boy.
That same year, people began to pay more attention as Rice began to be the lead singer in his band, as well as using his saxophones. He sings from his heart.
Experiences
Rice has performed with so many great musicians and here is a partial list of the bands and individuals with whom he played his saxophone and sang with over the years:
The San Diego Symphony; Robert Gordy, of Motown; The Stylistics; Little Richard; Billy Preston; Smoky Robinson; Harry Dean Stanton; Gloria Gaynor; Ella Fitzgerald; Johnny Depp; Slash; Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes live, in Berlin; Thelma Houston; Johnny Hodges; Cat Anderson: POCO; Frieda Payne (Band of Gold); Jay McShan; Marvin Gaye, Golden Hall San Diego – one year before his passing; The Chi-lites with Barry White, in Germany; and the Platters.
Rice has been around the world three or four times because his musical abilities. He chuckled where he said, “the jet landed in Iceland for several hours, so I guess I can say I have been on all seven continents.”
Teaching in Private School
Before moving to Protection, Rice was hired at a private school in Murieta, Calif., even though he didn’t have credentials to teach. His choir and band classes were with fourth graders to seniors. Debbie was there to be his secretary.
He involved his students in two musical productions. One of them was Shrek.
“The band didn’t have any saxophone players, and I wasn’t told that the students were autistic,” Rice said. “One of them didn’t like to be touched all year, but on the last day, he hugged me, his teacher.”
First impression of living in Protection
“This is a nice place to live,” Rice said of living in Protection. “I love the openness and the people.
“I miss eating at Don’s Place.”
Rice has a workshop in Protection if your instrument needs repairs. He can be contacted by calling (951) 694-5554.
One of his recent bookings was the annual meeting of the Woodward Arts & Theatre Council, Inc. held in August, in Woodward, Okla., about 60 miles south of Protection. He was featured as a saxophonist and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist.
He will be in Hays, at the Horseshoe Lounge, from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
He is now often seen with The Cash Carrico Band from Woodward. On Oct. 30, they will be in Arnett, Okla., at the Pack Saddle Bar & Grill, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The five-piece band plays a unique blend of red dirt with a twist of rock and country soul. Third-generation singer, guitarist and songwriter Cash Carrico, along with longtime friends Dakota Davis, on lead guitar, Steven Cox, on bass guitar, Ryan Savely, on drums and Rice, on sax, brings a mix of original music combined with covers of new and old country classics.
Cox is the husband of Rylee Jellison-Cox, daughter of Mark and Shari Jellison, of Protection. Steven and Rylee and their children live also in Protection.
