By Glynn Wilson –

Wayne Perkins, the Alabama-born guitarist whose studio and touring work influenced Southern rock and British rock acts and who played with artists from Percy Sledge to the Rolling Stones, died on Monday in a Birmingham hospital. He was 74.

Death

Perkins suffered a stroke on March 1 and never fully recovered, his brother Dale Perkins said. He died in a Birmingham hospital on Monday. Family members have provided that account of his final days.

Career and influence

Perkins began his professional career after moving to the Muscle Shoals area in 1968, working in studios and playing with Percy Sledge, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Cliff and others. He performed with Lynyrd Skynyrd and worked with the Rolling Stones and Joni Mitchell, among many artists. The article notes his lead guitar work also helped bring reggae music to broader international audiences through collaborations with Bob Marley.

After being passed over for a guitar position with the Rolling Stones in 1975, Perkins joined his brother’s band Alabama Power and took the group to Capitol Records; the project later appeared under the name Crimson Tide. He continued to play with a range of musicians, including Richard Wolf and Lonnie Mack, and released two solo albums before retiring to Birmingham with health problems in the 1990s.

The piece also observes that Perkins is regarded by some as part of the Muscle Shoals “Swampers” sound through his work with Leon Russell and others, a contribution cited as influential to the Southern rock sound celebrated by songs such as Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”

Legacy and tributes

Writer Glynn Wilson, who spent time with Perkins and his brother while helping prepare material for a website and a proposed book, recalled working with him on archival audio and videos. Family and colleagues have expressed admiration for Perkins’s musicianship; the article says many who knew him believe he has been overlooked by regional and national halls of fame.

Further reading and resources linked in the original account include the Wayne Perkins website (wayne-perkins.com), a YouTube playlist of his songs (playlist), related features on New American Journal and a GoFundMe page to support his musical legacy (Support Wayne Perkins’ Musical Legacy).

This is a developing, breaking news story in progress.

Image Referance: https://www.newamericanjournal.net/2026/03/alabama-guitar-slinger-wayne-perkins-dies-at-74/