# Nashville Session Legend, Grand Ole Opry Guitarist Jimmy Capps Dies at 81

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nashville-session-legend-grand-ole-opry-guitarist-jimmy-capps-dies-at-81/855166>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 6, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nashville-session-legend-grand-ole-opry-guitarist-jimmy-capps-dies-at-81/855166 "2020-06-06T19:38:57Z")\
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**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2020, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nashville-session-legend-grand-ole-opry-guitarist-jimmy-capps-dies-at-81/855166/1 "2020-06-06T19:38:57Z")

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Jimmy Capps has played on many of the biggest hits in Country Music. A career that dates back to the late 1950’s and he was still actively playing. 520 recording sessions a year! Jimmy is a member of the Musicians Hall of Fame.

A few of the many hits that Jimmy played on…  
He Stopped Loving Her Today  
The Gambler  
Stand By Your Man  
Elvira

I often saw him on the Country Road YouTube channel. He played a character called The Sheriff.

Jimmy is doing some serious picking in this clip. His wife Michele is sitting close to him in the gray shirt & jeans. She often provided background vocals.

Sending sympathy and prayers to his wife Michele and family. Jimmy Capps was 81.  
RIP

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IZHGE5X-CXU/maxresdefault.jpg "Gordon Mote & Jimmy Capps - Back Home Again In Indiana (20160204)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZHGE5X-CXU)

> **[Nashville Session Legend, Grand Ole Opry Guitarist Jimmy Capps Dies at 81](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/jimmy-capps-dies-81-obituary-9395779/)**
>
> Legendary Nashville session player and Grand Ole Opry house band guitarist Jimmy Capps has died at age 81.

> [@](#):
>
> The Musicians Hall of Fame member began his career with the Louvin Brothers in 1958, kicking off a more than half-century career that included laying down iconic licks on such country standards as Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira,” Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” and “The Rose” by Conway Twitty.
> 
> Along the way, according to a bio on his official site, Capps, born on May 25, 1939, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, averaged 520 recording sessions a year as well as countless performances with the Grand Ole Opry house band, which he joined in 1967. Known for his deft acoustic guitar playing, Capps’ name was often mentioned alongside such fellow Nashville guitar legends as Chet Atkins and Grady Martin.  
> With a wide-ranging resume, Capps’ session work took him from recordings with such contemporary country stars as Alan Jackson, to work with Junior Brown, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, k.d. lang, Tom Jones and Alvin and the Chipmunks.