Wayne Perkins was born in 1951 in Center Point, a small town just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. He started playing guitar at age six in a family of musicians, including mom, dad, a brother and four sisters.
Wayne played in his first band The Colours at fourteen, and his first successful band The Vikings at age fifteen, then quit school and moved out of his parent’s house at sixteen. In 1968 he moved to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, which was the oasis of recording music in the South.
Wayne was a guitar player at Quin Ivey’s Studio in Sheffield. He then worked at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios alongside “The Swampers” – Barry Beckett, Jimmy Johnson, Roger Hawkins, David Hood (and sometimes Spooner Odom).
Wayne also played lead and rhythm guitar for a long list of musical royalty. This included Ronnie Milsap, Joe Cocker, Jimmy Cliff, Steve Winwood and Albert King. In 1970, Wayne was taught slide guitar at the Oporto Armory in Birmingham, Alabama by Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band. Wayne later formed a group called Smith, Perkins, Smith, recorded an album, signed with Island Records in London, and toured Europe with Jackson Browne.
While in England, he was invited to play with Bob Marley and the Wailers on their first album. After touring Europe, Wayne headed west to Southern California. While in Los Angeles, Wayne played guitar on Joni Mitchell’s album “Court and Spark”. On off nights he frequented spots like Troubadour and Whisky a Go Go with ex-tourmate Jackson Browne.
Wayne eventually returned to Alabama for respite from the hectic pace of the rock and roll world. A short time later though, Leon Russell called and asked Wayne to join his band on tour across Japan and beyond. For the next two years he did just that.
After the tour, Wayne jetted off to Jamaica to hang out with guitar legend Eric Clapton. When Mick Taylor quit the Rolling Stones in 1974, Clapton recommended Wayne to replace Taylor. Wayne went to England and stayed with Keith Richards while auditioning for the Stones. He was credited on the Stones’ albums “Black & Blue” and “Tattoo You”. Fellow Brit Ronnie Wood from the band Faces eventually got the permanent lead guitar spot.
Restless, Wayne went back to Alabama and joined his brother Dale in several bands. After producing a few albums in Los Angeles with the band Crimson Tide, Wayne formed other bands, and there were tours, even work on film soundtracks for “The Karate Kid Pt II” and “Back to School”. He moved to Nashville and wrote country songs and jingles. He later toured and recorded with country blues artists Lonnie Mack and Delbert McClinton.
Wayne recorded well-received solo albums “Mendo Hotel” in 1995 and “Ramblin’ Heart” in 2005. Then things started to slow down as the road took its toll. Now, Wayne is back writing songs and playing guitar. He settled in with his brother Dale and extended family in Argo, Alabama. He has stories to tell about his wild rock and roll ride around the world and his return back to his musical roots in the South.
The Birmingham Record Collectors Hall of Fame Class of 2024
“The Preservation, Collection and Appreciation of Recorded Music”