Watching older musicians struggle to play like they used to can be really sad. But Bob Wood, a guitarist from Tennessee, amazed everyone by playing incredibly well even at 80 years old! A video of him rocking out in a music store went viral on YouTube and has been watched over 10.3 million times so far!
Bob, who is a father of nine, went to the British Audio Service music store in Nashville, TN, to pick up some amplifiers he had fixed. He said, “When they told me they were ready, I took the guitar to check ’em out.”
What happened next was amazing! Dressed in a pink and blue checkered shirt, Bob picked up a sunburst Epiphone Riviera guitar and started playing. His fingers moved so fast across the strings, playing a clean and beautiful tune with a Latin style, all while fingerpicking! His music sounded incredible, blending blues and tango in a way that felt fresh and exciting.
A store worker named Shane Radtke was the one who decided to capture the moment on video. He 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.’”
The song Bob played was “Bésame Mucho,” a classic hit written in 1932 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez. It’s one of the most covered Spanish songs ever, and Bob’s version was so good that music fans everywhere loved it!
Bob’s amazing guitar skills came from a lifetime of practice. He first started playing at just 6 years old and performed his first live radio show when he was 12. Even though he never became a huge star, Bob had some incredible experiences in his music career. He even had connections with famous artists like James Brown! Bob once shared a funny memory, saying, “I couldn’t understand a word he said. He’d start rattling off so fast and, man, he’d lose me.”
Another big moment in his life was playing a few sets with the legendary Les Paul, who invented the electric guitar and passed away in 2009. Bob joked about it later, saying, “For me to follow Les Paul was like following a bulldozer with a spoon.”
Bob also ran his own music store from 1981 to 1986 and released three studio albums during that time. He worked as a session musician, sold musical equipment, and still found time to play at festivals.
Bob Wood passed away peacefully at 88 years old, just a couple of days before Halloween in 2022. He was surrounded by his loving family and is survived by his nine children.
What do you think about Bob’s incredible story?
