Thomas C. “Tommy” Dodd, 71, of Acworth, Georgia, passed away Friday December 4, 2020, at Duke University Hospital, in Durham, NC.

Born March 14, 1949, in Tampa, Florida, he was the son of the late Malcom Emmitt and Dolly Frances Jenkins Dodd. He graduated University of North Carolina at Charlotte with an engineering degree in 1972. He was a retired Electrical Engineer and had been a professional musician all his life. He served in the Air Force Reserves an the Army National Guard. He was of the Baptist faith.

He is survived his wife, Donna Banks Dodd;  children, Ryan and Heather Dodd,  Holly Springs, GA, Travis and Julia Dodd,  Littleton, CO, Dan Coles and Liz Griffin, Morrisville, NC, Taylor Coles, Arvada, CO; brother, John Dodd,  Summerville, SC; two sisters, Mavis and Foots McGuffie, Hattesburg, MS, and Sylvia and Boots Stringer, McComb, MS; grandchildren, Morgan, Taylor and Luke Dodd, Teagan and Crew Dodd.

Private family graveside services will be held in Carnesville, GA.

Tommy Dodd’s Music Highlights

The son of a career Air Force family, Tommy Dodd has lived all over the world. His love of music came naturally. His mother and brother both enjoyed singing, and his father played several instruments, including steel guitar.  He had his first steel guitar lesson at the age of 13 when they were stationed in Anchorage, Alaska. Just two years later, at age 15, Tommy was performing at shows and dances around the Tampa, Florida area.

Summerville, South Carolina was the last stop after Tommy’s father retired from the military, and where he graduated high school in 1967.

Tommy moved to Charlotte, NC, in 1968 and attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he earned his engineering degree. He then began his professional recording career at Mark Five Studios in Greenville, South Carolina.

Tommy has contributed his talents to the recordings of such icons as Travis Tritt and Doug Stone.He has also played with The Supremes, and with an impressive array of country stars at the 1994 Super Bowl half-time show featuring Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, and the Judds. But, he says his greatest claim-to-fame came early in 1972 while playing with JD Sumner and the Stamps, when he actually shared the stage with Elvis!

Working full-time now as a studio musician, Tommy plays frequently with local bands in Georgia and with artists from Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. And, you don’t have to look far for evidence of this “Bodacious Bobcat’s” contributions to multiple productions of Always, Patsy – the much loved story of the late, great Patsy Cline.

Tommy has lived in the Atlanta area since the early 70’s. He and his wife, Donna, actively support the Georgia Steel Guitar Association (GaSGA).    Their blended family includes 4 grown sons, three daughters-in-law and 5 grandchildren.