PERMANENT SUBSTITUTE: After the death last Sunday of Northwest Arkansas native Bob Wooten, longtime guitar player for a fellow Arkansan, the late Johnny Cash, Bobby Crafford shares the story of how Wooten came to join Cash's band in the late 1960s. Crafford is the longtime drummer for Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers.
"Cash was playing a show in Fayetteville. His guitar player, Luther Perkins, had died and Carl Perkins [no relation to Luther] was filling in," Crafford explains. He added that Carl was delayed in getting to Fayetteville, and Cash and the band thought they were going to have to perform without someone on guitar.
"Bob was in the crowd, and someone knew he played guitar," says Crafford. "They took him backstage and he played and did so well, they hired him." Wooten played with Cash and his band until the legendary country singer retired because of his health.
STARRING ATTRACTION: Award-winning actress and director Phylicia Rashad (best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on NBC's The Cosby Show) is to deliver the keynote address to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's spring 2017 graduating class. The event is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13, in the Pine Bluff Convention Center Arena and is free and open to the public.
ARRIVING IN STYLE: The new feature film, Going in Style features Little Rock resident Gillian Glasco. Glasco, a Parkview Arts/Science Magnet High graduate, portrays Morgan Freeman's daughter, Maya, in the film. Glasco is the daughter of Gwen Glasco, a Little Rock School District kindergarten teacher, and Dr. Garry Glasco, a local nephrologist.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... Searcy's Beth Ditto, the plus-size indie rocker who attained fame as the frontman for her former band, The Gossip, and her love of fashion? Her latest album and her debut full-length solo effort releases June 16. The album, Fake Sugar, features "Fire" as its first single. Ditto says in a recent interview with BBC Radio 1 that she spent two years penning nearly 80 potential songs for her first solo album, which features 12 songs. She's also written a memoir and launched her own clothing line.
WRITE ON! For readers who are wondering (several have asked) why there's a new phone number and email address in the shirttail of this column, it's because this columnist was part of a reduction in workforce at this newspaper a few weeks ago. After graciously being given the opportunity to continue providing Paper Trails to readers (something I've been doing since 2004), I was delighted to accept the offer.
Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 607-0675 or lindashaymes@gmail.com.
SundayMonday on 04/16/2017