On This Day in 2017, the World Lost the Legendary Guitarist Who Learned To Play Like Luther Perkins and Backed Johnny Cash for Nearly 30 Years

On this day (April 9) in 2017, Bob Wootton died in Gallatin, Tennessee, at the age of 75. He was a lifelong fan of Johnny Cash who learned to play all of his early songs in the style of Luther Perkins. In the late 1960s, after Perkins died, Wootton took his place in Cash’s band after saving a show in Arkansas. He was a member of the Man in Black’s backing band for 29 years, until Cash retired from touring in 1997.

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Wootton was born in Paris, Arkansas, but grew up in Taft, California. There, he received his first guitar and began learning to play from his dad when he was 11 years old. Initially, he looked to early honky tonk players like Billy Byrd and Merle Travis for inspiration. Then, he heard Perkins play on Cash’s “I Walk the Line,” and it changed his life forever.

[RELATED: 70 Years Ago Today, Johnny Cash Recorded His First No. 1—a Song He Wrote as a Promise to His First Wife]

According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, he began studying Perkins’ style and learning every Cash song he could. His passion for Cash’s music continued when he joined the military after high school. While deployed in Korea, he learned more of the Man in Black’s songs and formed a band called Johnny and the Ramrods. This time solidified his desire to be a professional musician. When he was discharged from the military, he used his wages to buy the best guitar equipment he could afford.

Over the next few years, Wootton continued to hone his skills in a Tulsa, Oklahoma-based band called the Comancheros. Then, in 1968, a trip to a concert led him to take the place of his musical hero.

Bob Wootton Joins Johnny Cash’s Band

Luther Perkins died in a house fire in August 1968. However, Johnny Cash had to keep touring. As a result, he enlisted Carl Perkins (no relation) to fill the lead guitar role. Roughly a month after his guitarist’s death, Cash was slated to play during a campaign rally for Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller on September 17, 1968.

Bob Wootton and his then-girlfriend traveled roughly 100 miles to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to see the show. However, things weren’t going smoothly for Cash. He and his drummer, Fluke Holland, were the only members of the band who made it to Fayetteville on time due to an airline delay. While Marshall Grant and Carl Perkins didn’t arrive on time, their gear was at the venue.

Stories vary on what happened next. Some sources say Wootton approached Cash and asked if he could sit in. Other sources say his girlfriend approached June Carter and asked her if Wootton could fill Perkins’ slot. Either way, the result was the same. He took the stage and played every song note-for-note and sounded just like the late Luther Perkins.

He stunned Cash and the crowd with his mastery of not only material but also the unique style. As a result, he was invited to join Cash again in a few days. Before long, he was a permanent member of the band. He remained with the Tennessee Three until Cash retired from the road in 1997.

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