Musicians from near and far are coming together to pay homage to a “saxophonist extraordinaire” Dale Gothia.

A musical tribute and celebration of the life of Gothia will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21 at the Jefferson County Singles Dancehall, 7725 Green Ave., in Nederland. Entrance is a $10 donation at the door, which comes with admittance to the event and two raffle tickets.

Gothia, a Port Arthur native, who was saxophonist with the Boogie Kings, died Jan. 12.

“He was probably one of the most talented musicians ever to come out of the Golden Triangle, longtime friend and fellow musician “Jivin’” Gene Bourgeois said. “He never quit playing and never quit learning. He had a desire to learn as much as he could about music and the saxophone.”

At the height of their fame the Boogie Kings performed with artists such as The righteous brothers, BB King, Otis Redding and Ray Charles. They toured the country three times in the 1960’s and recorded eight albums, according to information from the Museum of the Gulf Coast. The band later made a successful comeback in 1991 under the leadership of Ned Theall.

“Dale and I started messing around with music in high school,” Bourgeois said. “He was one of those guys that everyone liked and was a handsome man; one of the regular heartthrobs, like the Robert Redford of our time.”

Bourgeois said Gothia was a quiet man who was also a bit mischievous, pulling pranks here and there.

The Feb. 21 event will feature a long list of musicians and singers, from Bourgeois and Mike Zito to Scott McGill and Ashlynn Ivy.

“It’s going to be a day to remember,” he said.

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