About
The Tennessee Three
since circa 1935
Bob Wootton (Lead Vocals, Guitar)W.S. Holland (Drums)
Accompanied with...
Vicky Wootton (Vocals and Rhythm Guitar)
Scarlett Wootton (Guitar and Vocals)
Lisa Horngren (Upright Bass)
The Tennessee Three began as the backing band for legendary country music and
rockabilly singer Johnny Cash. They toured and recorded with Cash for over 40 years,
until his semi-retirement in 1997.
When guitarist Luther Perkins died in a tragic house fire in August 1968, Johnny Cash
needed to find a replacement in a hurry. Luckily, a fellow Arkansas native — who could
play his songs as if he was in the studio when they were first recorded — was there to
step in and answer the call.
That man was Bob Wootton. Along with drummer W.S. Holland (who joined Cash full-
time in 1960 after recording "Blue Suede Shoes" with Carl Perkins), they've reformed
The Tennessee Three. Wootton now handles vocals, and his baritone sound uncannily
like Cash as the group perform his songs as well as some new ones on a tour that's
taken them across Canada last spring. The band is rounded out by bassist Lisa
Horngren, Wootton's wife Vicky on vocals and rhythm guitar, and his daughter Scarlett,
who takes the parts that used to be sung by the late June Carter Cash.
The last time that Wootton and Holland performed with their former boss was seven
years ago at an all-star tribute to Cash in New York City that featured Sheryl Crow, Willie
Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris and others. Cash, who had given up performing
due to illness, was a surprise guest when he came out at the end of the show to sing
"Folsom Prison Blues."
"We only got to do one song with him, but he was happy to have everybody back
together one more time," said Wootton via cellphone en route from Calgary to
Saskatoon while driving in the tour bus that Cash purchased in 1979, and which The
Tennessee Three have free use of for this tour.
Wootton retired from playing after that night, despite getting offers to join other country
artists, but it wasn't until requests from fans started coming in that he decided to stop
driving musicians around (he was a tour bus driver for the likes of Metallica, Wayne
Newton and Smashing Pumpkins) to hit the road again to perform with Holland. They
recorded an album called The Sound Must Go On and released it themselves, though
they're now getting label offers since the reunion is going so well.
Unknown
Northern Quarter
