Thomas Wayne Perkins, born July 22 1940 in Batesville, Mississippi, was an American rockabilly and pop singer. He attended Humes High School where he formed a quartet with classmates Nancy Reed, Sandra Brown and Carol Moss with guitarist Chips Moman, that played at school events. As a paperboy, he also came to Scotty Moore and caught the attention his attention. Moore signed Wayne to Fernwood Records and recorded the single “You’re the One That Done It / This Time” in 1958. Wayne’s breakthrough came with the ballad “Tragedy”, written by Gerald Nelson and Fred Burch. The single sold over one million copies, achieved gold status, and peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 on the R&B charts. Wayne retired from performing in the early 1960s. He later worked as a recording engineer for Moore, collaborating with artists such as Joe Simon and Ringo Starr in Nashville. He died 15 August 1971.
