Wayne Perkins (born 1951, David Wayne Perkins in Birmingham, Alabama) is a rock and R & B guitarist, singer, songwriter and session musician. He was the oldest of six children, a brother and four sisters. Both of his parents sang and played guitar. It was only natural for Perkins to pick up a guitar when he was six years old and teach himself to play.
At age 15, Perkins played his first gig as a session musician, in Bob Grove's Prestige Recording Studio in Birmingham. At 16, he left school and started performing in local bands and released singles with a band called the Vikings with Charles Nettles.
In 1968, drummer Jasper Guarino helped Perkins land a steady job as a session guitarist in a studio owned by Quin Ivy called "Quinvy's" in Muscle Shoals. Perkins was salaried at $100 a week. This led to work at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with such names as David Porter and the Soul Children, Dave Crawford and Brad Shapiro, Dee Dee Warwick, Ronnie Milsap, Joe Cocker, Leon Russell, Jimmy Cliff, Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood and Marlin Greene.
Wayne left session work to form a band called Smith, Perkins and Smith which recorded two albums and toured in England on the same bill with Free, Fairport Convention, Argent, Uriah Heep, Family and Vinegar Joe with Robert Palmer. While in England, Wayne was hired by Bob Marley to play on the Wailers first album, which went platinum. When Perkins returned to the United States, he played with Leon Russell for two years, in the Gap Band and the Shelter People Band, and with Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Clapton arranged for Perkins to audition with the Rolling Stones.[cite news |work=Los Angeles Daily News |title=No Strings Attached: Session man Wayne Perkins now playing with own band |date=1996-01-19 |first=Fred |last=Shuster |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83901153.html |quote=] As a result, Perkins was hired to play lead guitar on the album "Black and Blue."][cite news |work=Los Angeles Times |title=The Rolling Stones "Black and Blue" (1976) / Virgin |date=1994-08-11 |first=Jon |last=Matsumoto |url=http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/59566157.html?dids=59566157:59566157&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Aug+11%2C+1994&author=JON+MATSUMOTO&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=The+Rolling+Stones+%22Black+and+Blue%22+(1976)+%2F+Virgin&pqatl=google |quote=] Following this, Wayne joined the Alabama Power Band (formed by his brother Dale), which became Crimson Tide and recorded two albums. In Nashville, Wayne wrote music for Catdaddy Music and composed soundtracks for films including "The Karate Kid, Part II" and "Back to School". Perkins later formed the band Problem Child with Robert Nix and Rick Christian, and played bass with Lonnie Mack. During his long career, Perkins played session guitar with artists including the Alabama State Troupers, Ben Atkins, Michael Bolton, Angela Bofill, the Everly Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ray Reach and many others. ]In 1995, Perkins recorded his first solo album, "Mendo Hotel"[cite news |work=Contra Costa Times |title=Almost A Stone: No Regrets for Guitarist Who Lost Out |date=2002-11-08 |first=Tony |last=Hicks |page=37] , and in 2005, he released his latest, "Ramblin' Heart".]Discography
*1971 "Hills of Indiana" Lonnie Mack ; "Living by the Days" Don Nix ; "Lovejoy" Albert King; "Mary Called" Jeanie Greene; "Ronnie Milsap" Ronnie Milsap
*1972 "Alabama State Troupers Road Show" Alabama State Troupers; "Dinnertime" Alex Taylor; "Catch a Fire" Bob Marley & The Wailers; "John David Souther" John David Souther; "Raised on Records" P.F. Sloan; "Smith Perkins Smith" Smith Perkins Smith; "Smokestack Lighting" Mike Harrison; "Stories We Could Tell" The Everly Brothers; "Tiptoe Past the Dragon" Marlin Greene
*1973 "Last Stage for Silverworld" Kenny Young; "October" Claire Hamill
*1974 "Court and Spark" Joni Mitchell; "Hobos Heroes & Street Corner Clowns" Don Nix; "Monkey Grip" Bill Wyman
*1975 "Michael Bolton" Michael Bolton
*1976 "As Long as You Love Me" Mickey Thomas; "Black and Blue" The Rolling Stones; "Diggin' It" Dunn & Rubini; "Glass Heart" Allan Rich
*1978 "Levon Helm" Levon Helm; "Skynyrd's First and...Last" Lynyrd Skynyrd
*1979 "Next Song Is..." Keith Herman
*1980 "I Had to Say It" Millie Jackson; "McGuinn-Hillman" Roger McGuinn with Chris Hillman; "Storm Windows" John Prine
*1981 "Gimme You" Billy Burnette; "Mean Streets" McGuinn & Hillman; "Plain from the Heart" Delbert McClinton; "Reunion" Jerry Jeff Walker; "Tattoo You" The Rolling Stones
*1982 "Night After Night" Steve Cropper; "No Fun Aloud" Glenn Frey; "Old Enough" Lou Ann Barton
*1983 "American Made" The Oak Ridge Boys; "E.S.P. (Extra Sexual Persuasion)" Millie Jackson
*1984 "Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" The Oak Ridge Boys
*1985 "Home Again" The Everly Brothers; "Step on Out" The Oak Ridge Boys
*1986 "Back to School" Original Soundtrack
*1991 "Early Years" Michael Bolton; "Loner Prince" Phillip Mitchell
*1992 "Songs of Freedom" Bob Marley & The Wailers
*1993 "Mr. President" Ray Reach and Various Artists. A song, produced by Ray Reach, performed by Alabama talent, benefitting the homeless in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Artists and studios who donated their time and efforts to make this record include: choral students from Jefferson County schools, Chuck Leavell (Keyboards), Charlie Hayward (Bass), Chuck Tilley (Drums), Kelley O'Neal (Sax), Wayne Perkins (Guitar), [http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Front_Row_Productions Front Row Productions] and [http://www.bhamwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=Airwave_Productions_Group Airwave Productions Group] .
*1993 "Jump Back: The Best of the Rolling Stones 1971-1993" The Rolling Stones; "Ultimate Collection" Albert King
*1994" Classics, Vol. 2: Plain from the Heart" Delbert McClinton; "Classics, Volume 1" Delbert McClinton; "Heartaches & Harmonies" [Box Set] The Everly Brothers
*1995 "Mendo Hotel" Wayne Perkins; "Soul Children - Best of Two Worlds" The Soul Children
*1996 "So I Can Love You-Untouched" The Emotions
*1997 "Count On Me" James Clark, Produced by Ray Reach
*1998 "At Home in Muscle Shoals" Bobby Womack; "House Rent Party " Various Artists; "Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album" Lynyrd Skynyrd
*2001 "Catch a Fire" [Bonus Tracks] Bob Marley & The Wailers; "Catch a Fire" [Deluxe Edition] Bob Marley & The Wailers; "Jealous Kind/Plain from the Heart" Delbert McClinton
*2002 "Forty Licks" The Rolling Stones; "Patchouli" Ben Atkins
*2003 "Babylon by Bus"/"Catch a Fire"/"Burnin"' [Deluxe Editions] Bob Marley; "Rockin' Memphis: 1960s-1970s, Vol. 1" Various Artists; "Thyrty: The 30th Anniversary Collection" Lynyrd Skynyrd; "Uprising"/"Kaya"/"Catch a Fire" [Deluxe Editions] Bob Marley
*2005 "Even More Good Whiskey: A Collection of Contemporary Various Artists"; "Greatest Hits" Lynyrd Skynyrd; "Levon Helm" [Bonus Track] Levon Helm; "Ramblin' Heart" Wayne Perkins
*2006 "Monkey Grip" [Bonus Tracks] Bill Wyman; "Ronnie Milsap" [Bonus Track] Ronnie Milsap; "Stax Profiles" Albert King
References
External links
* [http://www.wayneperkins.com/ WaynePerkins.com]
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* [http://www.geocities.jp/hideki_wtnb/waynecontents.html Wayne Perkins fan site]
