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Jimmy Capps (1939–2020), guitarist with Grand Ole Opry house band

by Linnea Crowther

Jimmy Capps was a guitarist who was part of the Grand Ole Opry house band for more than 50 years and played on classic songs including Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man” and Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler.”

Onstage at the Opry and in classic recordings

Capps first played on the Grand Ole Opry stage in 1958 with the Louvin Brothers, playing guitar on their song “Knoxville Girl.” He became a member of the Opry’s house band in 1967, continuing to play there weekly until his death. While he performed at the Opry, Capps was also an in-demand session musician in Nashville, playing on some of the great classics of country music. Capps’ guitar can be heard on songs including “Elvira” by the Oak Ridge Boys, “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones, “Amarillo By Morning” by George Strait, and “Lost in the Feeling” by Conway Twitty. On television, Capps played the sheriff on “Larry’s Country Diner” on RFD-TV. Capps was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame, and a rehearsal space at the Opry was named in 2018 the “Jimmy Capps Music Room.”

Capps on his success and longevity as a session musician

“I like to think it’s because I’m a good team player, instead of being a guy who insisted on doing it his way. I wanted to be part of the team.” —from a 2012 interview for the Country Music Hall of Fame

What people said about him

Full obituary: Tennessean

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