Gene Wooten
Encyclopedia
Gene Wooten was an American dobro
player and multi-instrumentalist.
in Boone, NC, and ultimately moved to Nashville, TN in 1977, where he landed his first professional job as a musician with Wilma Lee Cooper
. He fast became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry
. His work as a dobro
player took him on the road and in the studio with numerous well known Bluegrass
stars including the Osborne Brothers
and Del and Ronnie McCoury. In 1994 he shared a Grammy Award
with Jerry Douglas
, Josh Graves
, Rob Ickes
, and others for his work on the all-star dobro
album called The Great Dobro Sessions
. He was also known as a member of the Country Gazette, and the Sidemen which were the house band of musicians at the famous Station Inn in Nashville, TN, a coveted position he held for more than ten years. For three years, he was named dobro
player of the year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass
in America. He recorded one solo album. Late in his career he was best known for playing on Patty Loveless
' award winning acoustic album, Mountain Soul
.
Gene Wooten’s craftsmanship with wooden instruments of all kinds impressed his peers. He worked for various musical instrument manufacturers, repairing instruments for some of the world’s most famous Bluegrass
musicians. He was especially appreciated for his ability to work on the dobro
.
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
player and multi-instrumentalist.
Biography
He became serious about playing music professionally while a student at Appalachian State UniversityAppalachian State University
Appalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
in Boone, NC, and ultimately moved to Nashville, TN in 1977, where he landed his first professional job as a musician with Wilma Lee Cooper
Wilma Lee Cooper
Wilma Lee Leary , known professionally as Wilma Lee Cooper, was an American bluegrass-based country music entertainer.-Biography:...
. He fast became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
. His work as a dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
player took him on the road and in the studio with numerous well known Bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
stars including the Osborne Brothers
Osborne Brothers
The Osborne Brothers, Sonny Osborne and Bobby Osborne , were an influential and popular bluegrass act during the 1960s and 1970s...
and Del and Ronnie McCoury. In 1994 he shared a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
with Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas may refer to:*Jerry Douglas , actor, who was on The Young and the Restless for 25 years*Jerry Douglas, country/bluegrass musician*Jerry Douglas , director and writer of adult films such as, Score...
, Josh Graves
Josh Graves
Josh Graves , born Burkett Howard Graves, was an American bluegrass musician. Also known by the nicknames "Buck," and "Uncle Josh," he is credited with introducing the dobro into bluegrass music shortly after joining Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1955...
, Rob Ickes
Rob Ickes
Rob Ickes is a dobro player. A Northern California native , Rob Ickes [rhymes with "bikes"] moved to Nashville in 1992 and joinedthe contemporary bluegrass band Blue Highway as a founding member in 1994...
, and others for his work on the all-star dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
album called The Great Dobro Sessions
The Great Dobro Sessions
The Great Dobro Sessions is a 1994 country music and bluegrass album featuring an all-star line-up of 10 American resonator guitar players, produced by dobro players Jerry Douglas and Tut Taylor....
. He was also known as a member of the Country Gazette, and the Sidemen which were the house band of musicians at the famous Station Inn in Nashville, TN, a coveted position he held for more than ten years. For three years, he was named dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
player of the year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
in America. He recorded one solo album. Late in his career he was best known for playing on Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
' award winning acoustic album, Mountain Soul
Mountain Soul
Mountain Soul is the eleventh album of original recordings by Patty Loveless. The album was recorded between January and March 2001 and was released on June 26 in the United States. It first charted on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart on July 14 , and remaining on the charts for 87 weeks...
.
Gene Wooten’s craftsmanship with wooden instruments of all kinds impressed his peers. He worked for various musical instrument manufacturers, repairing instruments for some of the world’s most famous Bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
musicians. He was especially appreciated for his ability to work on the dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
.