Jimmy Capps, an influential Nashville guitarist, has died at age 81.
Capps was a member of the Grand Ole Opry’s house band for more than 50 years and has been featured on hits with Johnny Cash, George Strait and Kenny Rogers.
Capps played guitar beginning when he was 12 and moved to Nashville in 1958, when he was just 19. In December of that year, he made his debut at the Opry. He officially joined the house band in 1967, where he performed with the likes of Conway Twitty, Reba McEntire and other country legends.
For his decorated career, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012 and in 2018, the rehearsal room at the Grand Ole Opry was named after him.
Beginning in 2009, he also regularly appeared as Sheriff Jimmy Capps on Larry’s Country Diner on RFD-TV.