By Glynn Wilson –
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama guitar slinger Wayne Perkins, whose playing in the early days of Rock ‘n’ Roll inspired Southern Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and influenced British Rock bands like The Rolling Stones, and whose lead guitar licks helped make Bob Marley’s Reggae music internationally famous, died on Monday in a Birmingham hospital. He was 74.
He suffered a stroke on March 1 and never fully recovered, according to his brother Dale Perkins.
“For those who haven’t heard, Wayne passed away yesterday peacefully,” Dale posted on Facebook. “Our sisters and family members were there with him. We appreciate all the kind thoughts and memories. He was one of a kind and we loved him very much, and thank you all.”
Last winter I embedded with Wayne and Dale in a log cabin house in Argo east of Birmingham working on a website for Perkins, adding some of his original songs and covers to YouTube videos and conducted enough research to draft a book proposal to follow a film about him and his life on Alabama Public Television. It is still available but has not been funded yet.
Wayne Perkins: The Story of a Swamper And a Sideman
Wayne Perkins YouTube Songs Playlist
I had written a chapter focusing on some of my experiences growing up playing rock and roll in the 1970s along with the Perkins brothers for a third edition of my memoir, which will be out later this year on Amazon.
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll But I Like It: Wayne Perkins, The Rolling Stones and Lynyrd Skynyrd
Listen to some of Perkins’ music on this YouTube Playlist.
Read the full story in the New American Journal.