Adolphe Sax
Antoine-Joseph Sax was born on 6 November 1814, in Dinant, in what is now Belgium, to Charles-Joseph Sax and his wife. While his given name was Antoine-Joseph, he was referred to as Adolphe from childhood. His father and mother were instrument designers themselves, who made several changes to the design of the French horn. Adolphe began to make his own instruments at an early age, entering two of his flutes and a clarinet into a competition at the age of 15. He subsequently studied performance on those two instruments as well as voice at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.
Melinda Saxe
Saxe was born in Tennessee on March 6, 1965, to band leader Richard Saxe (born 1933) and dancer/show producer Bonnie Saxe (born 1941). Many sources cite Saxe's birthplace as Las Vegas, however she was born in a small town in Tennessee. At the age of three, Saxe moved to Las Vegas, after her mother, Bonnie, landed a spot as a showgirl in the Folies Bergere show at the Tropicana. Saxe had an older sister, Suzanne (born 1960/1961), and a younger brother, David Saxe (born 1969). Saxe became interested in magic at the age of 16, and would practice it all day long from that point on. Saxe graduated from Bonanza High School in Las Vegas as a junior in 1982. At the age of 17, she joined Siegfried & Roy's magic show as a dancer.