Oklahoma Musicians

Jazz history

Tommy Crook

KOSU's local music report identifies Crook as a Tulsa guitarist born in 1944 who began performing young, worked with Porter Wagoner, Hank Thompson, and Leon McAuliffe, and played in teenage bands with David Gates, Leon Russell, J.J. Cale, Carl Radle, and Jimmy Karstein. KOSU reports his February 4, 2026 death at age 81.

Oklahoma connection

KOSU and a contemporaneous guitar essay place his birth and long-term professional base in Tulsa and describe local residencies and Oklahoma television work.

Musical work and relationships

Fingerstyle guitarist; Porter Wagoner; Hank Thompson; Leon McAuliffe; J.J. Cale; Leon Russell; Chet Atkins praise; local Tulsa residencies.

Hall of Fame account

The Hall catalog lists Tommy Crook as a guitarist inducted in 2004.

Evidence and remaining questions

The Hall catalog and older Hall biography predate the 2026 death; current death information is from KOSU and should be retained as a later update.

Sources

  1. www.kosu.org/music/2026-02-11/remembering-tulsa-guitarist-tommy-crook
  2. writeweller.blogspot.com/2002/
  3. www.okjazz.org/tommy-crook/

Related source accounts

These records use the same display name in different source contexts. They remain separate accounts.