Introduction
📝 Article: The Unbreakable Bond: Steve Wariner on Jimmy Capps, Nashville, and The Secret of Lifelong Friendship
Country star Steve Wariner shares a warm, insightful look into his enduring friendship and professional admiration for the late, legendary guitarist Jimmy Capps. More than just a session player, Capps was a constant, innovative presence throughout Wariner’s career, embodying the humble spirit of classic Nashville.
Wariner first encountered Capps early in his career while playing bass and singing backup for Dottie West. Capps, already a respected studio veteran, was playing on West’s records. Wariner admits to being awestruck, having watched Capps years earlier on television shows like The Wilburn Brothers Show, appreciating his innovative acoustic style alongside greats like Hal Rugg and Buddy Spicher.
What struck Wariner was Capps’s subtle brilliance. While Capps is universally known as an “incredible world-class acoustic guy,” Wariner emphasizes that Capps was also a “brilliant electric player.” Capps was innovative, often utilizing capos and unique tunings, including pioneering the high-string or “Nashville tuning” which adds richness to a track—a technique Wariner still employs today.
The relationship deepened when Capps, recognizing Wariner’s talent, asked the young bassist to sing demos for him. Wariner “about came unglued,” viewing it as a moment of arrival. This initial collaboration foreshadowed a prolific partnership, as Capps would go on to play on nearly all of Wariner’s biggest hits.
Wariner attributes the longevity of their decades-long friendship to a deep, shared sensibility, calling Capps a “bigger, older brother.” He describes Capps as “so low-key and unassuming and humble,” often joking that Capps didn’t even realize he was Jimmy Capps. Wariner sees a lot of himself in Capps—introverted, quiet, and deeply focused.
For any artist, having Capps in a session was an immediate boost to confidence. Capps’s presence guaranteed the track would be right. Wariner passionately advocates for Capps’s legacy, calling him a “major piece of country music history” whose astounding discography, filled with countless hit records, makes him one of the most essential, and yet most humble, figures Nashville has ever known.