Jimmy Wilkerson

Nashville-based Country musician and session guitar player. Born in Evansville, Illinois, Jimmy began playing guitar at age 13, developing a skill for playing all styles of music: Jazz, Classical, Country, and Rock. He began working with Boots Randolph in 1958 and followed Randolph to Nashville in 1961, continuing to work together until 1976. During this time, Jimmy played on hundreds of recording sessions, made many appearances on network television shows, and performed in concert from coast to coast. A claim to fame: Wilkerson played the guitar solo on the original TV theme song recording for the Rockford Files television show. During his 15 years in Nashville, Jimmy was a major player in establishing what became known as the famous "Nashville Sound." Throughout those years he played on hit records with Boots, Roy Orbison, Eddy Arnold, Lorretta Lynn, Elvis Presley, Roy Clark, The Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Perry Como, Hugo Montenegro, and others. TV appearances include The Jimmy Dean Show, The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Perry Como Show. Jimmy also recorded four solo albums: The Many Guitars of Jimmy Wilkerson, Jimmy Wilkerson Plays the Theme of Dr. Zhivago and other Great Songs, Jimmy Wilkerson's Country Cookin, and Jimmy Wilkerson Country, released in 1978 and was nominated for six Grammy Awards in the Jazz and Country categories.