John Wilkinson, Elvis Presley guitarist, dead at age 67

Elvis guitarist John Wilkinson died Friday at 67.

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Wilkinson played 1,200 shows with Elvis Presley, passed away in Springfield, Mo. Family members say his cause of death was related to a battle with cancer. His wife said he spent is last hours listening to music by The King.

According to a report on Jan. 11 from News-Leader, Wilkinson’s wife, Terry, was by his side when Elvis’ upstart guitarist died.

At the peak of his career, he played rhythm guitar in Presley’s TCB (Taking Care of Business) Band from 1968 to Presley’s death in 1977.

As a boy, Wilkinson had seen television clips of Presley beating on his guitar with his hands. In a widely celebrated encounter, Wilkinson at age 10 sneaked into the Shrine Mosque before a Presley concert and berated the young star for mistreating his guitar. Presley remembered the moment and hired Wilkinson when they met again 12 years later.

In 1989, Wilkinson had a stroke that prevented him from playing guitar. However, he continued to sing, and he toured through Europe performing songs associated with Presley and original work.

He lived in California for a time, then returned to live in the house where he grew up in Springfield.