Gene Wooten (1953 to 2001) was a Dobro player, multi-instrumentalist, and instrument repairman in Nashville. He played with Wilma Lee Cooper, Country Gazette, and the Osborne Brothers, and for more than ten years he was part of the Sidemen, the house band at the Station Inn. He shared the Grammy for The Great Dobro Sessions and played on Patty Loveless’s Mountain Soul.
Why Wooten matters
Wooten spent more than two decades as a working Dobro player in Nashville. He played the Grand Ole Opry, toured with the Osborne Brothers, filled the Station Inn’s Tuesday nights with the Sidemen, and fixed the instruments of the players around him. SPBGMA named him Dobro Player of the Year three times.
Life and career
Wooten was born on June 5, 1953, in Franklinton, North Carolina. He got serious about music as a student at Appalachian State University in Boone. In 1977 he moved to Nashville, where his first professional job was with Wilma Lee Cooper. He soon became a regular on the Grand Ole Opry.
He played Dobro with Country Gazette and did session work around Nashville. In 1992 he joined the Osborne Brothers’ band. He also worked with Del and Ronnie McCoury. In 1994 he was one of the featured players on The Great Dobro Sessions, which won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. Late in his career he played on Patty Loveless’s Mountain Soul. He made one solo album. He died of cancer in Nashville on November 7, 2001.
Playing style
Wooten worked as a session and band player, so his Dobro had to fit bands as different as Wilma Lee Cooper’s and the Osborne Brothers’. On The Great Dobro Sessions he played Poison Love and a Dobro version of the Beatles’ Day Tripper. He also repaired instruments for several makers and was known for his work on the Dobro.
Influences and legacy
Wooten played with Wilma Lee Cooper, Bobby Osborne, Sonny Osborne, Del McCoury, and Ronnie McCoury. Bass player Mike Bub was also a regular in the Sidemen.
Signature tunes and songs
Poison Love Day Tripper.
Essential recordings
The Great Dobro Sessions (Sugar Hill, 1994) Mountain Soul, Patty Loveless
Awards and honors
Grammy Award, Best Bluegrass Album, The Great Dobro Sessions (1995) SPBGMA Dobro Player of the Year, three times
What to learn from Wooten
Learn Poison Love on the Dobro, then play backup on it for a singer. Session players such as Wooten earn their work by fitting the singer first. Keep your fills short, end them before the next vocal line, and match the volume of the band.
Sources
Gene Wooten, Wikipedia Wooten, Gene, BluegrassBios.com The Great Dobro Sessions, Wikipedia
Related players
See the Dobro players hub and the Dobro guide. Josh Graves and Brother Oswald recorded beside him on The Great Dobro Sessions. Mike Bub was also a member of the Sidemen.