Wayne Moss, the legendary and prolific Nashville session guitarist who played on classic records like Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene," has passed away. Moss died on Monday, and Roy Orbison's Instagram page broke the news. (Incidentally, Orbison would've turned 90 today.) No cause of death has been reported. Moss was 88.
Moss grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, and he moved to Nashville at 21. As a young man, Moss played in the early Nashville rock 'n' roll bands the Escorts and the Casuals. Pianist Pig Robbins first hired Moss as a session musician. Within a few years, Moss founded his own Cinderella Sound studio, where he recorded with tons of artists over the years.
Moss played on '60s rock 'n' roll hits like Tommy Roe's "Sheila" and Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman," and he also reportedly did often-uncredited studio work on records from country greats like Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Kris Kristofferson. His work on records like Dolly Parton's "Jolene" and Waylon Jennings' "Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line" is legendary. He also played in Brenda Lee's touring band for a time.
When Bob Dylan came to Nashville to record Blonde On Blonde, Wayne Moss was part of the studio band that he hired. Moss also worked with non-country artists like the Steve Miller Band, Grand Funk Railroad, Linda Ronstadt, and Nancy Sinatra, who came to Nashville specifically to record at Cinderella Sound. Below, check out some of Moss' work.
