About Randy
L ong ago, surnames came to be in order to provide a family’s place of origin or the patriarch’s trade, and in the case of Randy Wood, the surname has served as creator of destiny: Wood’s father was a carpenter and a woodworker. His dad, along with some of his uncles, also loved music; the family played and sang together, adding another element to Randy’s future course. Fast forward: by the early 1970s, Randy had built a mandolin for Bill Monroe, added inlay work to Johnny Cash’s and Elvis’ guitars, been 1/3 of the trio that started what eventually became the now-famous Gruhn Guitars, and opened the original Old Time Pickin’ Parlor in Nashville.
Wood sold the business in 1979 — and he and Irene moved back to Georgia. For 22 years, they lived on the Isle of Hope; Wood considered himself semi-retired, and ran a woodshop, and a small mail-order business, out of the garage (“As long as UPS can find me, I’ll be all right”).
As more and more people moved into the area, however, he began to yearn for something more “rural.” Ten years ago, he bought four acres on Highway 80, built a house, a workshop and a retail store.
Later came the 100-seat performance venue (“Randy’s Pickin’ Parlor”) where some of the best bluegrass, country and acoustic musicians like to come and play – mostly because they know Randy Wood, and his reputation, and they know that wherever he is, there’ll be lots of people in the audience who love and appreciate top-quality acoustic music.
Every Saturday afternoon, there’s an informal jam in the store; pickers come from all over Georgia with their guitars, mandolins and fiddles.
Randy and Irene recently added a barbeque restaurant – it’s called the Pickin’ Pig – and on really busy days, the master instrument maker is in the kitchen, slow-cooking the ribs and chicken. (Note: The BBQ restaurant has since been replaced by Flaco’s Tacos).
“I stay broke, but I’ve always eaten good,” he laughs.
“I’ve made a decent living, and that I’m thankful for. I’ve been able to do something that I’ve always enjoyed doing. I can’t remember a day that I haven’t looked forward to getting up and going to work, and that’s something very few people can say.”
Thanks to: De Young, Bill. “The Master Craftsman: Bloomingdale’s Resident Instrument Maker Randy Wood Is Famous the World Over.” Connect Savannah. Connect Savannah, 1 July 2009. Web.
If you’ve ever wanted to know how Randy’s path led him to the honored place he holds in the music world today, here’s your chance. This just-released volume from The University of Tennessee Press chronicles Randy’s life…from his upbringing in Southeast Georgia to his musical journey through storied locations including Muscle
Shoals, Nashville, and more recently back to the state of his birth. Featuring more than 200 pages (including close to 50 historical photos), this volume is a must-have for fans of bluegrass music, lutherie, and of course Randy Wood himself.
Stop in the store to get your autographed copy today!
From the Publisher
In the 1960s and 1970s, Randy Wood was a forerunner in the vintage instrument industry. Known as the instrument repairman to the stars, the list of Wood’s clients reads like a Hall of Fame roster: Elvis Presley, Eric Clapton, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Emmylou Harris, Billy Gibbons, Bill Monroe, Keith Richards, Roy Acuff, Ricky Skaggs and Hank Williams Jr. … to name a few. In Randy Wood: The Lore of the Luthier, Daniel Wile traces the life and work of a man who quietly influenced a hidden history of bluegrass and country music.
About the Author
Daniel Wile has written for Bluegrass Unlimited, Vintage Guitar, and The Bluegrass Standard. He is president of Southern Cast Products, a steel foundry in Meridian, Mississippi.
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