80-Year-Old Proves Age Is Just a Number with Insane Guitar Solo
It’s truly heartbreaking to watch older musicians gradually lose their ability to play. However, Bob Wood, a guitarist from Tennessee, was still performing exceptionally well at the age of 80. A video of him shredding in a music shop went viral on YouTube, garnering over 10.3 million views to date!
The father of nine visited the British Audio Service music store in Nashville, TN, to collect some amplifiers he had sent for repair. According to Wood, “When they told me they were ready, I took the guitar to check ‘em out.”
The outcome was incredible. Dressed in his pink and blue checkered shirt and playing a classic-style, sunburst Epiphone Riviera, Bob showcased remarkable agility for his age. His fingers moved lightning-fast across the frets as he delivered a clean, Latin-inspired riff while fingerpicking! His sound was impressive, drawing inspiration from the blend of blues and tango, resulting in a uniquely original and captivating performance.
Store employee Shane Radtke cleverly captured the moment, giving Bob his viral fame. Shane told Nashville News Channel 5, “I was in the back at my bench and I heard somebody playing something pretty original. And I was like, Wow, that’s really cool. So I said, ‘Guys, let’s shoot a video of this.’”
Bob’s rendition was “Bésame Mucho,” a song as enduring as he is, composed in 1932 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez and considered the most covered Spanish song of all time. Bob’s effortless live performance is among the finest versions we’ve heard here at The Music Man!
Bob’s remarkable dexterity showcased a lifetime of dedicated practice. He first picked up a guitar at six years old and played his first gig at twelve on a live radio show. Although he never reached mainstream fame, Wood’s music career was filled with legendary stories and high-profile collaborations. A contemporary friend, James Brown, used to call Bob, as Bob explained: “I couldn’t understand a word he said. He’d start rattling off so fast and, man, he’d lose me.”
He even performed a few sets with electric guitar pioneer Les Paul, who passed away in 2009, humorously recalling, “For me to follow Les Paul was like following a bulldozer with a spoon.”
Bob ran his own music store briefly from 1981 to 1986, releasing three studio albums during that time. He worked as a session musician and a musical equipment salesman, all while performing at festivals on the side. Bob Wood passed away peacefully at the age of 88, a few days before Halloween 2022, surrounded by family and survived by his nine children.
