Born on This Day in 1942, the Johnny Cash Superfan Who Became His Guitarist After Saving a Show in Arkansas

On this day (March 4) in 1942, Bob Wootton was born in Paris, Arkansas. He heard Johnny Cash for the first time as a teenager and immediately fell in love with his sound. Eventually, he taught himself to play in the style of Luther Perkins. After years of working day jobs and playing in a prominent Tulsa, Oklahoma-based band, a series of coincidences opened the door for him to replace the late Perkins in Cash’s band.

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Wootton learned to play guitar from his father and regularly played in church as a child. Initially, he looked to Merle Travis and Ernest Tubb’s guitarist, Billy Byrd, for inspiration. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, that changed when he was a teenager. He heard Cash’s “I Walk the Line” for the first time and was blown away by Perkins’ style. Soon, he was a huge fan of Cash’s output and began teaching himself to play like Perkins.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1969, Johnny Cash Was at No. 1 With a Song That Featured Lines Lifted From a Carter Family Classic]

After high school, Wootton enlisted in the military and spent 15 months in Korea. There, he learned more Cash songs and formed a band called Johnny and the Ramrods. If he had doubts about pursuing music as a career before, his time abroad removed them. After he finished his time in the military, he used his pay to buy guitar equipment.

Things happened slowly for Wootton. He returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and formed a band called the Comancheros. They became popular locally but never broke out of the Tulsa scene. Then, a 100-mile road trip, bad weather, and a supportive girlfriend changed his life forever.

Bob Wootton Joins the Tennessee Three

Luther Perkins died in a house fire in August 1968. However, Johnny Cash couldn’t stop touring. Instead, he enlisted Carl Perkins (no relation) to fill in on guitar. In September 1968, Cash was playing in Fayetteville, Arkansas, approximately 100 miles from Tulsa. Bob Wootton and his girlfriend made the trip to attend the concert.

A storm kept Perkins and bassist Marshall Grant from making it to the venue. However, their equipment arrived on time. As a result, Cash took the stage backed only by his drummer, Fluke Holland. Thinking quickly, Wootton’s girlfriend approached June Carter Cash and asked if he could sit in, assuring her that he knew Cash’s repertoire.

Soon, Wootton was on the stage with Cash. The star was surprised to find that his temporary guitarist not only knew how to play the entire setlist, but also knew how to play the songs like Luther Perkins.

After the show, Cash offered to pay Wootton for his services, but he refused. For him, being on the stage with the Man in Black was payment enough. Then, Cash invited him to join him again two days later in Harrison, Arkansas. That show led to Wooton joining Cash on tour for a six-month probationary period. It must have worked out. He retained his spot in the Tennessee Three until Cash retired in 1997.

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