Bob Saxton

Bob Saxton

Bob Saxton, a jazz guitarist from Laurel, Mississippi, won the “Merle Travis National Thumb Pickers Contest” for two years (1995 and 1998). He toured Germany in the summer of 1998.

In June of 1983 Bob had the honor to play with Merle Travis for about four and a half hours. He has some of that on cassette, according to North Carolina Thumb & Finger Style Guitar Players Inc.

In 1959 he was lead guitarist for Gene Vincent, the guy that had “Be Bop a Lula.” He has also performed with Bobby Gentry and was a guest star with Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. He also performed with Patsy Cline. He is an honorary member of the Chattanooga Thumbpickers and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry. He is a member of the New York Country Music Hall of Fame in Cortland. He plays two songs: City of New Orleans and Back in Baby’s Arms on the CDThe Great Mississippi Jazz Guitarists Reunion, which is available from theMississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.