Robert "Bob" Wootton (March 4, 1942 – April 9, 2017) was an American guitarist. He joined Johnny Cash's backing band, the Tennessee Three, after original lead guitarist Luther Perkins died in a house fire. He remained Cash's guitarist for nearly thirty years.
Robert Clifton Wootton was born March 4, 1942, in Paris, Arkansas. In 1950, he moved with his family to Taft, California. He first learned to play guitar from his father around age 11. It was around this time that he said he first heard the music of Johnny Cash, which he "instantly loved". In 1956, he bought a copy of "I Walk the Line", even though he did not then own a record player. In 1958, Wootton moved to Oklahoma, where he lived until joining Cash's band.
Wootton had been a lifelong fan of Cash's and played his songs religiously until he had perfected the boom-chicka-boom style known as Cash's unique sound. By 1968, Wootton was playing gigs regularly in Oklahoma City. After the death of Luther Perkins in a house fire in August 1968, the role of lead guitarist was given to Carl Perkins (no relation) leading to a different sound of the band. On September 17, 1968, Cash was performing in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at a campaign rally for Governor Winthrop Rockefeller. An airline delay left only Johnny Cash and drummer W. S. Holland onstage. Wootton, sitting in the audience, approached Cash requesting to fill in for the night. Wootton stunned the crowd, particularly Cash himself, with perfect renditions of every song. Cash mentioned in passing that he might one day call on Wootton again, but within days asked him to join the tour as new lead guitarist.

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