Wayne Perkins, Influential Session Guitarist, Dies at 74

Wayne Perkins, a Birmingham, Alabama-born session guitarist who almost joined the Rolling Stones in 1976, has died. He was 74.

The guitarist died on Monday after suffering a stroke.

«For those who haven’t heard, Wayne passed away yesterday peacefully,» his brother Dale said 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.»

You can hear Perkins’ guitar solo on the Rolling Stones’ «Hand of Fate» below.

Listen to the Rolling Stones’ ‘Hand of Fate’

Perkins first gained the Stones’ attention through his friend Eric Clapton, who recommended him as the band’s new guitarist after Mick Taylor left before the recording of 1976’s Black and Blue.

READ MORE: Top 40 Albums of 1976

He was one of several guitarists who played on the album as the group continued its search for a new permanent member. Perkins played on three tracks on the album, «Hand of Fate,» «Memory Motel» and «Fool to Cry.»

Perkins also played on «Worried About You,» which was recorded during the album sessions but not released until 1981’s Tattoo You.

He impressed the Rolling Stones and was nearly asked to join the band during the recording sessions for Black and Blue.

But, as noted in his 2010 memoir Life, Stones guitarist Keith Richards said, «We liked Perkins a lot. He was a lovely player … [but] it wasn’t so much the playing, when it came down to it. It came down to the fact that [Ron Wood] was English.» Wood got the job instead.

Who Did Wayne Perkins Play With?

This wasn’t the first time Perkins almost joined a legendary group.

Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant also asked him to join his band after admiring his extensive work as a session guitarist at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where he played on records by Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Steve Winwood. Perkins played on some of Skynyrd’s earliest demos.

But Perkins turned down that offer, too, telling Al.com in 2017, «They didn’t need me, and I had a lot of other stuff coming my way.»

Perkins got his start at Muscle Shoals when he was 15. In 1972, he cofounded the group Smith Perkins Smith, which released an album that year on Island Records, the first U.S. act on the British label.

That led to Perkins playing on Bob Marley and the Wailers’ breakthrough 1973 album Catch a Fire. A year later, he played on Joni Mitchell‘s classic Court and Spark. More work followed, including stints in Russell’s band and then the call to aid the Stones.

You can hear Perkins’ guitar solo on the Rolling Stones’ «Worried About You,» recorded during the Black and Blue sessions but not released until 1981’s Tattoo You, below.

Listen to the Rolling Stones’ ‘Worried About You’

Perkins continued to play on records throughout the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s. Over the past few years, he was diagnosed with several brain tumors before suffering a stroke on March 1.