In the early 1960s, Perkins began playing electric guitar with west Texas rock bands, and was discovered by Mickey Jones and Kenny Rogers of The First Edition.

Perkins, along with Chris Hillman, formerly of The Byrds,[6] went on to join Stephen Stills' Manassas,[7] whose material fused Latin, rock, blues, country, folk, and bluegrass influences.

In Nashville Perkins formed a new project called The Nash Ramblers with Emmylou Harris, with whom he had worked previously on the two solo albums recorded by Gram Parsons.

To date, other artists Al Perkins has played for are: James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Dan Fogelberg, Joe Walsh, Mike Love, Solomon Burke, Patty Loveless, Cher, Rita Coolidge, Iris DeMent, Michael Martin Murphey, Buddy Miller, Tommy Womack, Yo La Tengo, and Jim Lauderdale.

Throughout the 2000s Perkins toured periodically with the Road Trippers, a band led by Kevin Montgomery and occasionally included Mike McAdam and Mavericks Paul Deakin and Robert Reynolds.

With Tori Amos With Bob Bennett With Solomon Burke With Garth Brooks With Kate Campbell With Steve Camp With Cher With Gene Clark With Leonard Cohen With Rita Coolidge With John Denver With George Ducas With Bob Dylan With Eagles With Tim Easton With Dan Fogelberg With Steve Forbert With Richie Furay With John Wesley Harding With Emmylou Harris With Mark Heard With Chris Hillman With Nancy Honeytree With Wynonna Judd With Bill LaBounty With Miranda Lambert With Jim Lauderdale With Roger McGuinn With Michael Martin Murphey With Michael Nesmith With Randy Newman With Juice Newton With Joe Nichols With Gram Parsons With Dolly Parton With Billy Preston With John Prine With Terry Reid With The Rolling Stones With Tom Rush With Michelle Shocked With Jill Sobule With Donna Summer With Russ Taff With James Taylor With The Tractors With Joe Walsh With Dwight Yoakam