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One of the nicest people I ever met was Luther Perkins... Back in 1959 or 60, I get confused these days; I was stationed in West Germany in the Air Force at a small base near Wurtzburg. I had managed to put together a band called the "Klicks," made up of two Air Force and two Army guys. We were the only all Rock & Roll G.I. bands around and played most of the enlisted/NCO clubs within reasonable driving distance. Most other G.I. bands were country with a little R&R thrown in. We had played at the Sweinfurt NCO club several times. It was a plush club that had a stage that rolled out from a wall when they had USO shows or name acts came in. We had played the night the DeCastro sisters were there. You might remember that they had a hit called "Teach Me Tonight." We did two sets, cleared the stage and they did their show. We set up again and closed the club. It went so well that we were booked to play the night Johnny Cash was to be there. I was really excited. I had collected all of Cash's SUN releases before I shipped out and loved the plain but haunting guitar riffs of Luther Perkins. The night of Cash's appearance, the club was jammed. They were turning away people at the door. Officers were even trying to muscle their way in. We did our two sets real well and cleared the stage. We had grabbed a table near the right side of the stage so we could see real well. Cash came in the front door. Wearing all black, he went quickly to the dressing rooms behind the stage without looking at or acknowledging a soul. His band made up of an upright bass player, a drummer with only a snare drum and a hi-hat, and Perkins who was playing the first Fender Jazzmaster I had ever seen. It was white with a tortoise shell pick guard. He also had a new brown Fender "Pro" Amp with a Lansing D-130 speaker. This was not the stock speaker for that amp. The Lansing speaker could be recognized by its silver or metallic speaker cone that could be seen through the grill cloth. It was a powerful speaker that had a clear crisp, almost snapping sound for guitars. Cash was introduced, went directly to the stage and began the set. It was astonishing how tight they were. Cash had a D-sized Martin and when they went to a guitar break, he would hold it up to the house mic and play rhythm. What a sound. And all the time Perkins never missed a lick. In his act there was a lot of comedy. While Cash would play and act like he was enjoying the music, he would look over at Luther, who was absolutely deadpan. Cash would roll his eyes and try to make Luther Smile. Luther would just stare at him. The crowd would crack up. One time Cash pulled out a big hair comb and said "I got an estimate on a hair cut the other day." A line I used several times later on. Then he dropped the comb. The bass player pulled out a blank pistol and shot the comb. Cash and Perkins jumped off the stage and the drummer fell off his stool. They were all starring at the comb. A great skit. After Cash had left the stage, we were waiting from them to clear so we could set up again. I introduced myself to Luther and told him how much I admired him. I grilled him on his equipment and he let me play the Jazzmaster. It was all new. He had the Lansing speaker put in the Amp at the Fender factory. He liked the snap that it had when he muffled the strings. He was great, talked like we were old friends. He and the bass player stayed around for our first two songs, gave me a wave and left. I never forgot him. Johnny Cash left quickly after his set without saying a word to anyone as near as I could tell. I think it was the beginning of his dope days ... When I came back to the states, the first thing I did was to rid myself out the small amp I had and ordered a Fender Pro-amp. I also traded in the stock 15" speaker for a Lansing D-130 which I used until I switched to bass. It can be seen both front and back in the "Rollerland" pictures on my Rockabilly Hall site. I've read a lot about Perkins and his playing ability, and how he had to memorize everything he did. I don't believe that crap; I think Luther Perkins was a better musician than he's given credit for. He died too young, he was a nice guy. For a few minute in Germany he made a teenager far away from home feel like he had made a new friend. Uncle Bill Change nothing Luther: in NY
Seeing the Johnny Cash / Jim Reeves Show in the old Brandon Arena was a real thrill. After the show when the stars headed across the arena floor to the dressing room area, the majority of autograph seekers followed after them. But Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant of Johnny's Tennessee Two (3) stayed in the stage area to pack up. This was the days before roadies and big tour buses. I saw Luther alone at the side of the stage and made my way over to him to boldy ask if I could try out his Fender guitar. He said "Yup" and this led to my first real guitar lesson. Luther wasn't a really great accomplished guitarist . . . he probably didn't know many more chords than I at that time. . . but the lessons I learned in that short time about interaction with fans and the importance of creating your own style were invaluable. His "boom-chick" style of damped guitar and simple memorable riffs is probably one of the most imitated. Sadly, he died in a house fire a few years later. www.hillmanweb.com/cashsun.html
Luther as the lead guitar player was the one responsible for creating the very distinct sound behind Johnny Cash and was one of the original Tennessee Two, along with Marshall Grant. Sid [of O.K. Houck Piano Co.] sold Luther a 1955 Fender Esquire (now owned by Marty Stuart) and a Fender Champ amplifier. Prior to their success when he began falling behind on his payments the store repossessed the guitar and amp. Luther went to Sid and asked to borrow the guitar for one night needing it to "cut a record". They had known each other since they worked for the Illinois Central Railroad out of High School so Sid said he'd do it but he had to have it back by 8:00 the next morning before the boss came in. That night Luther recorded "I Walk The Line" at Sun with Johnny and it became their first No. 1 hit. True to his word he was waiting at the store when Sid arrived the next morning. Luther never forgot that favor and they became good friends. Sid recalls, "Each December when the band wasn't working you'd always find Luther around Houck's doing all sorts of tasks, not taking any pay for it, just to be around the instruments and to meet people, a really marvelous person". James V. Roy
Once the records started getting around, guitarists all over the world began copying the Luther Perkins style, and he became
a kind of cult hero. Keith Richards came to one of our English shows, at a U.S. military base in the early '60s, but he wasn't
interested in me; Luther was the one he couldn't wait to watch.
Johnny Cash Cash
There can never be enough credit given to Luther Perkins. He was a plain and simple man with a heart of gold. He didn't say much generally, and he never said anything onstage--he was one of a kind, and his playing style was unique. By the early 1960s, everyone was trying to copy Luther--but nobody could. It was like trying to copy Chet Atkins of Merle Travis. Luther knew who he was and what he was born to do, and he did it well. His guitar playing was so powerful that he shocked people. They'd watch Luther standing there so still, barely moving, yet pulling those powerful sounds from his guitar--it was an unbelievable sight. Marshall Grant I Was There When it Happened |