Born 96 Years Ago Today in Arkansas, the Country Guitarist Who Grew Up Down the Road From Johnny Cash and Later Played With Hank Williams
Country guitarist Tommy Tomlinson was born in Arkansas on 28 October 1930, near the farm where Johnny Cash grew up. He later became a regular player with Johnny Horton, contributing to several of Horton’s best-known recordings, including the number-one hit “The Battle of New Orleans”.
Tomlinson began playing professionally as a teenager and joined Shreveport’s Louisiana Hayride after serving in the Korean War. He was seriously injured in the 1960 car crash that killed Horton, and doctors amputated one of his legs four months later; he returned to touring within a year. He also played with Johnny Cash and wrote songs recorded by Dolly Parton and Norma Jean, before dying of heart failure in 1982, aged 51.
In short
- Tommy Tomlinson was born 96 years ago in Arkansas.
- He played on major Johnny Horton hits, including “The Battle of New Orleans”.
- After losing a leg in a 1960 crash, he returned to touring.
Explained simply
Arkansas was home to several musicians who helped shape country music in the mid-20th century. Johnny Cash grew up there, while guitarist Tommy Tomlinson began playing professionally as a teenager and later joined the Louisiana Hayride, a radio programme and live show in Shreveport that helped bring country performers to wider audiences.
Tomlinson became a regular member of singer Johnny Horton’s band and played on recordings including “The Battle of New Orleans”. He also performed with Cash and wrote songs that were recorded by Dolly Parton and Norma Jean, linking him to several well-known country artists.
Horton died in a 1960 car crash in which Tomlinson was badly injured. Tomlinson later returned to touring and continued working as a musician, illustrating the role touring bands and session players played in country music’s growth.
Business Entertainment Markets Music