Wayne Perkins, Guitarist Once Considered by the Stones, Dies at 74

Wayne Perkins, the Birmingham, Alabama-born guitarist whose fluid, expressive style made him one of the most respected session players of his era—and who came close to joining the Rolling Stones in the mid-1970s—has died at 74.

Perkins passed away on Monday following a stroke. His brother, Dale, confirmed the news in a Facebook post, noting that he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

“For those who haven’t heard, Wayne passed away yesterday peacefully. 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.”

A Near-Miss With Rock Royalty

Perkins’ path briefly aligned with rock history at a pivotal moment. After Mick Taylor exited the Rolling Stones ahead of the Black and Blue sessions in 1976, Eric Clapton recommended Perkins as a potential replacement. The band, in the midst of an informal audition process, brought in several guitarists to contribute to the album.

Perkins ultimately played on three tracks—“Hand of Fate,” “Memory Motel,” and “Fool to Cry”—delivering performances that blended technical precision with a soulful edge. He also contributed to “Worried About You,” recorded during the same sessions but shelved until its release on 1981’s Tattoo You.

His work made a strong impression. For a time, Perkins appeared to be a serious contender for a permanent role in the band. However, as Keith Richards later wrote in his 2010 memoir Life, the decision hinged on something less musical:

“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.”

Ron Wood would ultimately secure the position, leaving Perkins as one of rock’s great “what ifs.”

The Session Circuit and Roads Not Taken

The Stones were not the only legendary act Perkins nearly joined. Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman Ronnie Van Zant also extended an invitation after taking note of Perkins’ work at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where he built a reputation as a versatile and in-demand guitarist.

Perkins contributed to some of the band’s earliest demo recordings but declined the offer. Reflecting on the decision years later, he told Al.com in 2017:

“They didn’t need me, and I had a lot of other stuff coming my way.”

That instinct to remain independent would define much of his career. Rather than tying himself to a single band, Perkins became a sought-after collaborator, lending his talents to a wide range of artists across genres.

A Legacy Etched in the Grooves

Perkins began his professional journey at just 15 years old in the fertile recording environment of Muscle Shoals. By 1972, he had co-founded Smith Perkins Smith, releasing an album on Island Records—marking the label’s first signing of an American act.

That breakthrough opened doors to a series of high-profile sessions. He contributed to Bob Marley and the Wailers’ Catch a Fire (1973), helping shape the global emergence of reggae, and played on Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark (1974), one of the defining singer-songwriter albums of the decade. Additional stints with Leon Russell and others further cemented his reputation as a musician’s musician—reliable, inventive, and deeply attuned to the needs of a song.

Perkins continued recording and performing steadily through the 1980s, ’90s, and 2000s, his guitar work surfacing in places both prominent and unexpected. In later years, he faced serious health challenges, including multiple brain tumors, before suffering the stroke on March 1 that led to his death.

Yet to measure Perkins’ legacy solely by the bands he almost joined would be to miss the broader story. His career reflects a different kind of success—one built not on spotlight or status, but on craft, collaboration, and quiet influence. His playing lives on not as a footnote to larger narratives, but as an essential thread woven through some of rock’s most enduring recordings.