Wayne Jackson, the trumpet player and one-half of the legendary Memphis Horns that backed hit records by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and many others, died last week
In a Facebook post, Wayne’s wife, Amy, reported that her husband was treated for a bacterial infection that cleared up, but it “triggered his congestive heart failure symptoms.” In a statement on Tuesday, she said he eventually died of congestive heart failure.”He led an incredible life,” she said, “and he left an amazing music legacy.”
Along with his Memphis Horns partner, tenor saxophonist Andrew Love, Wayne performed on hit after hit, notching 52 No. 1 records, according to Stax Records, based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Wayne was born on November 24, 1941, in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised across the Mississippi River in West Memphis, Arkansas. His first musical instrument was the guitar, but when his mother brought him a trumpet when he was 11, his life was changed.“I opened up the case, and it smelled like oil and brass,” Wayne said, in his biography on his official website, https://www.memphishorns.com “I loved that, so I put it together, blew, and out came a pretty noise. My first taste of Sweet Medicine.”
Wayne had worked with Rod on numerous occasions and was also a fellow SMILER member and I had the pleasure of working with him on an article we did in issue 86 of SMILER magazine about The Buxton Festival of 1974 when Rod booked The Memphis Horns as special guests
SMILER would like to pass on our condolences to Amy and the rest of Wayne’s family, friends and many fans.