123-508: John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny, his brother, Dorsey Burnette , and their mutual friend Paul Burlison , formed the band that became known as the Rock and Roll Trio . His career was cut short on August 14, 1964, when he drowned following a boat accident, aged 30. He is the father of 1980s rockabilly singer Rocky Burnette . Johnny Burnette
246-484: A brain tumor on October 21, 1965, at age 39. His death occurred during his third operation that doctors had hoped would eradicate the tumor permanently. Black's body was buried next to his father, William Patton Black Sr., at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley was criticized for not attending the funeral, but he believed that his presence would turn it into a media frenzy . He decided instead to visit
369-404: A "stage clown" persona in the same way that Maddox entertained audiences. Black performed as an exaggerated hillbilly with blacked-out teeth, straw hat and overalls. According to his son, Black said his goal was always to give his audience "a few moments of entertainment and maybe a little bit of humor that'll tickle 'em for a while." In 1952, Black began playing in clubs and on radio shows with
492-497: A Heartbeat" (Magic Lamp 515) was released. On August 14, 1964, Burnette's unlit fishing boat was struck by an unaware cabin cruiser in Clear Lake, California . The impact threw him off the boat, and he drowned. When he received the news, Dorsey Burnette called Paul Burlison, who flew out to comfort him and attend Johnny's funeral. The two men were to keep in touch until Dorsey's death of a heart attack in 1979. Johnny Burnette
615-470: A Little Too Much ", amongst others. Other Imperial Records artists, such as Roy Brown , benefited from their songwriting. The success of his recording of the brothers' "Hip Shakin' Baby" led to a recording contract with Imperial Records as a duo. While in California, they met Doyle Holly , who played bass guitar for a short time with the band. Holly went on to become the bass player for Buck Owens and
738-570: A Lot of Things to Do" backed with "Girls" (Liberty F-55345), released June 14, 1961, was handled differently from his previous records. In Britain, the upbeat side, "Girls", was promoted as the topside and reached number 23 in the UK chart in September 1961. In the United States it was flipped over with "I've Got a Lot of Things to Do" as the topside, but despite heavy promotion it failed to become
861-561: A Teenage Werewolf". Lead singer Lux Interior 's energetic and unpredictable live shows attracted a fervent cult audience. Their " psychobilly " music influenced The Meteors and Reverend Horton Heat . In the early '80s, the Latin genre was born in Colombia by Marco T (Marco Tulio Sanchez), with The Gatos Montañeros. The Polecats , from North London, were originally called The Cult Heroes; they could not get any gigs at rockabilly clubs with
984-428: A blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" (from "rock 'n' roll") and " hillbilly ", the latter a reference to the country music (often called " hillbilly music " in the 1940s and 1950s) that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing , boogie-woogie , jump blues , and electric blues . Defining features of
1107-456: A blues song on one side and a country song on the other, both sung in the same genre-blending style. Presley's Sun recordings feature his vocals and rhythm guitar, Bill Black's percussive slapped bass, and Scotty Moore on an amplified guitar. Slap bass had been a staple of both western swing and hillbilly boogie since the 1940s. Scotty Moore described his playing style as an amalgamation of techniques he had picked up from other guitarists over
1230-464: A break on July 5, 1954, Elvis started playing " That's All Right Mama ", a 1946 blues song by Arthur Crudup, and Moore and Black joined in. After several takes, Phillips had a satisfactory recording. "That's All Right" was released on July 19, 1954. Presley's version of "That's All Right Mama" melded country, a genre associated with European-American culture, and rhythm & blues, a genre associated with African-American culture . The resulting track
1353-645: A breakthrough hit for Shakin' Stevens . Also in 1980, Queen scored a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the rockabilly-inspired single " Crazy Little Thing Called Love ". The Stray Cats were the most commercially successful of the new rockabilly artists. The band formed on Long Island in 1979 when Brian Setzer teamed up with two school chums calling themselves Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom . Attracting little attention in New York, they flew to London in 1980, where they had heard that there
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#17327932810011476-633: A copy of "A Map to the Stars", which showed the location of the house of the teen idol Ricky Nelson . In an effort to get their songs to him, the Burnettes and Campbell decided to sit on the steps of his house until they could get a meeting with him. Their persistence worked, and Nelson was sufficiently impressed with their work that he eventually recorded several of their songs, including " Believe What You Say ", " It's Late ", " Waitin' in School ", and " Just
1599-611: A deck hand; Dorsey worked as an oiler. After work, they would go back to Memphis and perform songs in local bars with a varying array of sidemen, including another former Golden Gloves champion, Paul Burlison , whom Dorsey had met at an amateur boxing tournament in Memphis in 1949. In 1952, the Burnette brothers and Burlison formed a group called the Rhythm Rangers. Johnny sang and played acoustic guitar, Dorsey played bass and Paul Burlison played lead guitar. For economic reasons,
1722-1007: A duet with Carl Perkins, and George Harrison collaborated with Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys . In 1999, McCartney released Run Devil Run , his own record of rockabilly covers. The Beatles were not the only British Invasion artists influenced by rockabilly. The Rolling Stones recorded Buddy Holly's " Not Fade Away " on an early single and later a rockabilly-style song, " Rip This Joint ", on Exile on Main St. The Who , despite being mod favorites, covered Eddie Cochran's " Summertime Blues " and Johnny Kidd and The Pirates ' Shakin' All Over on their Live at Leeds album. Even heavy guitar heroes such as Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were influenced by rockabilly musicians. Beck recorded his own tribute album to Gene Vincent's guitarist Cliff Gallup — Crazy Legs —and Page's band, Led Zeppelin , offered to work as Elvis Presley's backing band in
1845-564: A hit, peaking just outside the Hot 100 at number 109. After recovering from his illness, Burnette returned to the road with a tour of Northern cities, culminating in a season at the Brooklyn Paramount Theatre, after which he undertook a tour of Australia with Connie Francis . Back in the limelight, his next release was scheduled to be a Carl Perkins song, "Fools Like Me", backed with "Honestly I Do" (Liberty 55377), but this
1968-576: A lot of country crowds that weren't used to people jumping up and down on stage." In 1959, Black joined a group of musicians which became Bill Black's Combo. The lineup was Black (bass), Joe Lewis Hall (piano), Reggie Young (guitar), Martin Willis (saxophone), and Jerry Arnold (drums). There were several personnel changes. While Young was in the army, his position was filled by Hank Hankins, Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill . On sax, Ace Cannon took over touring duties from Willis who remained in Memphis for
2091-682: A million copies. These same musicians would have two more releases in 1956, followed by another in January 1957. "Queen of Rockabilly" Wanda Jackson's first record came out in July, "I Gotta Know" on the Capitol label; followed by "Hot Dog That Made Him Mad" in November. Capitol would release nine more records by Jackson, some with songs she had written herself, before the 1950s were over. The first record by Jerry Lee Lewis , who would later be known as
2214-510: A mix of blues, country and early rockabilly. The Saturday Night Jamboree was a Memphis stage show held every Saturday night at the Goodwyn Institute Auditorium in downtown Memphis, Tennessee from 1953–1954. The Jamboree shows were sometimes broadcast live on KWEM. A number of future notables performed there, including Elvis Presley. The performers often experimented with new sounds in their dressing rooms, incorporating
2337-646: A name that sounded "punk", so the original drummer Chris Hawkes came up with the name "Polecats". Tim Polecat and Boz Boorer started playing together in 1976, then hooked up with Phil Bloomberg and Chris Hawkes at the end of 1977. The Polecats played rockabilly with a punk sense of anarchy and helped revive the genre for a new generation in the early 1980s. The Blasters , who emerged from the Los Angeles punk scene, included rockabilly among their roots rock influences. The song " Marie Marie ", first appearing on their 1980 debut album American Music , would later become
2460-568: A nationwide boogie craze starting in 1938, country artists like Moon Mullican , the Delmore Brothers , Tennessee Ernie Ford , Speedy West , Jimmy Bryant , and the Maddox Brothers and Rose began recording what was then known as "hillbilly boogie", which consisted of "hillbilly" vocals and instrumentation with a boogie bass line. After World War II , The Maddox Brothers and Rose were at "the leading edge of rockabilly with
2583-822: A pioneer of rockabilly and rock and roll, came out on December 22, 1956, and featured his version of " Crazy Arms " and "End of the Road". Lewis would have big hits in 1957 with his version of " Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On ", issued in May, and " Great Balls Of Fire " on Sun. There were thousands of musicians who recorded songs in the rockabilly style, and many record companies released rockabilly records. Some enjoyed major chart success and were important influences on future rock musicians. Sun also hosted performers, such as Billy Lee Riley , Sonny Burgess , Charlie Feathers , and Warren Smith . There were also several female performers like Wanda Jackson who recorded rockabilly music long after
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#17327932810012706-702: A punk-influenced style of rockabilly, often labeled as alt-country or cowpunk . They achieved critical acclaim and a following in America but never managed a major hit. The revival was related to the " roots rock " movement, which continued through the 1980s, led by artists like James Intveld , who later toured as lead guitar for The Blasters, High Noon , the Beat Farmers , The Paladins , Forbidden Pigs , Del-Lords, Long Ryders, The Last Wild Sons, The Fabulous Thunderbirds , Los Lobos , The Fleshtones , Del Fuegos , Reverend Horton Heat and Barrence Whitfield and
2829-483: A rock and roll star in his own right), although they did not record the song until 1957. The Burnettes disliked the popular music McQueen played, so they began playing smaller shows on their own, focusing on their budding rockabilly sound. The trio released " Train Kept A-Rollin' " in 1956, listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 500 rock songs of all time . Many consider this 1956 recording to be
2952-518: A rockabilly album titled Everybody's Rockin' . The album was not a commercial success and Young was involved in a widely publicized legal fight with Geffen Records who sued him for making a record that did not sound "like a Neil Young record". Young made no further albums in the rockabilly style. During the 1980s, a number of country music stars scored hits recording in a rockabilly style. Marty Stuart 's " Hillbilly Rock " and Hank Williams, Jr. 's " All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight " were
3075-491: A summer tour with Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent . On Sunday September 9, 1956, they appeared as finalists on the Original Amateur Hour at Madison Square Garden , singing "Hound Dog". Despite this activity, the three singles this rock and roll trio had released over this period failed to reach any national hit parade. This might be due to a result of Elvis Presley who appeared on a CBS television program that
3198-746: Is another example of the mixing of musical genres in the first half of the 1950s. Bill Monroe is known as the Father of Bluegrass , a specific style of country music. Many of his songs were in blues form, while others took the form of folk ballads, parlor songs, or waltzes. Bluegrass was a staple of country music in the early 1950s and is often mentioned as an influence in the development of rockabilly, in part owing to its favoring of fast tempos. The Honky Tonk sound, which "tended to focus on working-class life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness, alcoholism, and self-pity", also included songs of energetic, uptempo Hillbilly Boogie. Some of
3321-666: Is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California . Burnette gained renewed prominence in 1973 thanks to Ringo Starr 's version of " You're Sixteen ". In addition, Burnette's original song was recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame . One of his songs, " Train Kept A-Rollin' " by Tiny Bradshaw , would later be recorded by the Yardbirds , Aerosmith and Motörhead . Early British rock and roll power trio and proto punk garage band Johnny Kidd and
3444-456: Is quoted as saying "Rock and Roll? Why, man, that's the same kind of music we've been playin' since 1928!... But it's just basic rhythm and has gone by a lot of different names in my time. It's the same, whether you just follow a drum beat like in Africa or surround it with a lot of instruments. The rhythm's what's important." After blues artists like Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson launched
3567-682: The Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 in Britain. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA . His fourth Liberty single, " You're Sixteen " (written by the Sherman Brothers ) backed with "I Beg Your Pardon" (Liberty F-55285), released on October 5, 1960, did even better, reaching number 8 on the Hot 100 and number 3 in the UK Singles Chart , and earned another gold record for him. Burnette went back into
3690-546: The Buckaroos and to record as a solo artist. As the Burnette Brothers, they released one single, for Imperial, "Warm Love" backed with "My Honey" (Imperial X5509), on May 5, 1958. It did not make the charts. After this failure, they continued to work together as songwriters but began to follow separate careers as performing artists. In 1961, however, Johnny and Dorsey released two instrumental singles, credited to
3813-480: The Capitol Tower with Jim Economides and Jimmie Haskell overseeing the proceedings. A number of tracks were recorded: "It Isn't There", "Wish It Were Saturday Night", "I'll Give You Three Guesses", "All Week Long" and "Congratulations, You've Hurt Me Again". Of these "It Isn't There" backed with "Wish It Were Saturday Night" (Capitol 5023) were issued on August 19, 1963, as his first American single. In Britain,
Johnny Burnette - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-477: The Fender Precision Bass ( bass guitar ) in popular music , on " Jailhouse Rock ", in the late 1950s. Black, Moore and the drummer D. J. Fontana toured extensively during Presley's early career. Black continued his onstage "clown" persona and developed comedy routines with Presley. Black's onstage personality was a sharp contrast to the introverted stage presence of Moore. The balance fit
4059-773: The Jordanaires . In 1951 a western swing bandleader named Bill Haley recorded a version of " Rocket 88 " with his group, the Saddlemen . It is considered one of the earliest recognized rockabilly recordings. It was followed by versions of " Rock the Joint " in 1952, and original works such as "Real Rock Drive" and " Crazy Man, Crazy ", the latter of which reached number 12 on the American Billboard chart in 1953. On April 12, 1954, Haley, performing with his band as Bill Haley and His Comets , recorded " Rock Around
4182-485: The Long Tall Sally EP (1964)). Long after the band broke up, the members continued to show their interest in rockabilly. In 1975, Lennon recorded an album called Rock 'n' Roll , featuring versions of rockabilly hits and a cover photo showing him in full Gene Vincent leather. About the same time, Ringo Starr had a hit with a version of Johnny Burnette's " You're Sixteen ". In the 1980s, McCartney recorded
4305-519: The video clip to McCartney's song "Baby's Request". In the documentary film In the World Tonight , McCartney can be seen playing it and singing his version of " Heartbreak Hotel ". In 1995, he played it on " Real Love ", the last "new" Beatles record (one of two in which McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr overdubbed a full arrangement onto a John Lennon home recording from the late 1970s). Actor Elliott Street portrayed Black in
4428-450: The 1930s and 1940s, two new sounds emerged. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys were the leading proponents of Western Swing , which combined country singing and steel guitar with big band jazz influences and horn sections ; Wills's music found massive popularity. Recordings of Wills's from the mid 1940s to the early 1950s include "two beat jazz" rhythms, "jazz choruses", and guitar work that preceded early rockabilly recordings. Wills
4551-485: The 1970s. However, Presley never took them up on that offer. Years later, Led Zeppelin's Page and Robert Plant recorded a tribute to the music of the 1950s called The Honeydrippers: Volume One . The 1968 Elvis "comeback" and acts such as Sha Na Na , Creedence Clearwater Revival , Don McLean , Linda Ronstadt and the Everly Brothers , the film American Graffiti , the television show Happy Days and
4674-459: The 1980s in the UK (with four number ones in the singles chart) and number two across Europe, outstripping Michael Jackson , Prince , and Bruce Springsteen . Unlike The Stray Cats, who became successful due in part to MTV, Shakin' Stevens' success was initially due to him appearing on various children's television shows in Britain. Despite his popularity in Europe, he never became a big success in
4797-612: The BBC on July 10, 1963, for broadcast airing on July 23, 1963. During the airing Lennon introduced the song, originally recorded by Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio on July 3, 1956, and released in March 1957, joking, "This is a Dorsey Burnette number, brother of Johnny Burnette, called 'Lonesome Tears in My Eyes', recorded on their very first LP in 1822!" The song also influenced a later Beatles song, " The Ballad of John and Yoko " in that
4920-597: The Big Bopper ), the induction of Elvis Presley into the army in 1958, and a general change in American musical tastes. The style remained popular longer in England, where it attracted a fanatical following right up through the mid-1960s. Rockabilly music cultivated an attitude that assured its enduring appeal to teenagers. This was a combination of rebellion, sexuality, and freedom—a sneering expression of disdain for
5043-537: The Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 in Britain. Frustrated by this prolonged inactivity he tried to return to work too early, and he promptly collapsed. This meant that his fifth Liberty single, "Big Big World" backed with "Ballad of the One Eyed Jacks" (Liberty F-55318), released on March 30, 1961, received no promotion at all and reached only number 58 on the Hot 100. His sixth Liberty single, "I've Got
Johnny Burnette - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-738: The Blues . The Combo's sound of danceable blues became a popular accompaniment for striptease dancers. Another characteristic of the Combo was Reggie Young thwacking on the guitar with a pencil. In 1962, Bill Black opened a recording studio called "Lyn-Lou Studios" (a shortened nickname "Linda-Lou" he had for his daughter Nancy), and a record label named "Louis" after his son, on Chelsea Street in Memphis, Tennessee, with Larry Rogers (Studio 19, Nashville) as his engineer and producer. Johnny Black, Bill's brother and also upright bass player, who knew Elvis at Lauderdale Courts before Bill, recalls visiting Bill at
5289-903: The Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll) ". The group became a popular touring act in the UK and the US, leading to respectable album sales. Edmunds also nurtured and produced many younger artists who shared his love of rockabilly, most notably the Stray Cats . Robert Gordon emerged from late 1970s CBGB punk act Tuff Darts to reinvent himself as a rockabilly revival solo artist. He recorded first with 1950s guitar legend Link Wray and later with UK studio guitar veteran Chris Spedding and found borderline mainstream success. Also festering at CBGB's punk environs were The Cramps , who combined primitive and wild rockabilly sounds with lyrics inspired by old drive-in horror movies in songs like "Human Fly" and "I Was
5412-474: The Clock " for Decca Records of New York City. When first released in May 1954, "Rock Around the Clock" made the charts for one week at number 23, and sold 75,000 copies. In 1955, it was featured in the film Blackboard Jungle , resulting in a resurgence of sales. The song hit No. 1, held that position for eight weeks, and was the number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 1955. The recording was, until
5535-891: The Decca label, and, as a member of the Teen Kings, Roy Orbison with "Ooby Dooby" on the New Mexico/Texas based Je-wel label. Holly's big hits would not be released until 1957. Janis Martin was only fifteen years old when RCA issued a record with "Will You, Willyum" and the Martin-composed "Drugstore Rock 'n' Roll", which sold over 750,000 copies. King records issued a new disk by forty-seven-year-old Moon Mullican: " Seven Nights to Rock " and "Rock 'N' Roll Mr. Bullfrog". Twenty more sides were issued by various labels including 4 Star, Blue Hen, Dot, Cold Bond, Mercury, Reject, Republic, Rodeo, and Starday. In April and May 1956,
5658-795: The Freedom label was shut down, and Burnette moved to the parent Liberty label, under the direction of the producer Snuff Garrett . Liberty had better promotional capabilities than Freedom, so that Johnny's singles for Liberty stood a greater chance of succeeding. His first two singles for Liberty, "Settin' the Woods on Fire" backed with "Kentucky Waltz" (Liberty F-55222), released on November 10, 1959, and "Patrick Henry" backed with "Don't Do It" (Liberty F-55243), released on March 4, 1960, sold well regionally but were not national hits. However, his third single, " Dreamin' " backed with "Cincinnati Fireball" (Liberty F-55285), released on May 4, 1960, reached number 11 on
5781-504: The Jime ended with the death of Vince Gordon in 2016. Shakin' Stevens was a Welsh singer who gained fame in the UK portraying Elvis in a stage play. In 1980, he took a cover of The Blasters ' "Marie Marie" into the UK Top 20. His hopped-up versions of songs like " This Ole House " and " Green Door " were giant sellers across Europe. Shakin' Stevens was the biggest selling singles artist of
5904-531: The Jukebox Keep on Playing". Perkins and Presley in particular competed as the premier rockabilly artists. In March 1956, Columbia released " Honky Tonk Man " by Johnny Horton , King put out "Seven Nights to Rock" by Moon Mullican, Mercury issued "Rockin' Daddy" by Eddie Bond , and Starday released Bill Mack 's "Fat Woman". Two young men from Texas made their record debuts in April 1956: Buddy Holly on
6027-628: The National Billboard charts in 1956, and his "Guitar Rock" is cited as classic rockabilly. In 1953, 13-year-old Janis Martin was performing at the Old Dominion Barn Dance on WRVA out of Richmond, Virginia. Martin performed a mix of country songs for the show peppered with rhythm and blues hits in a style that has been described as "proto-rockabilly". She later stated, "the audience didn't know what to make of it. They didn't hardly allow electric instruments, and I
6150-471: The One Who Loves You)" backed with "Time Is Not Enough" (Chancellor C-1129). None of these singles were hits. Burnette moved on from Chancellor, briefly joining Dorsey on Reprise Records for one single, "Hey Sue" backed with "It Don't Take Much" (20153), before signing a one-year contract with Capitol Records in the summer of 1963. Johnny's first recording session was held on July 23, 1963, at
6273-597: The Pirates and psychobilly band The Meteors both covered "Lonesome Train." The Cramps covered his song "Tear it Up", Poison Ivy heavily influenced by Burnette's raw guitar style and Lux Interior borrowing Burnette's vocal approach, and fellow rockabilly band Tav Falco's Panther Burns did a cover of "You're Undecided", both songs from Burnette's first album and again, heavily indebted to Burnette quivering, emotional vocal delivery. The Beatles , with John Lennon on vocal, performed " Lonesome Tears in My Eyes " at
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#17327932810016396-489: The Rock 'n' Roll Trio The Johnny Burnette Trio Johnny Burnette Rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South . As a genre, it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues , leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as
6519-511: The Rock and Roll Trio played on Ted Mack 's TV talent show in New York City. They won all three times and guaranteed them a finalist position in the September supershow. Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps' recording of " Be-Bop-A-Lula " was released on June 2, 1956, backed by "Woman Love". Within twenty-one days it sold over two hundred thousand records, stayed at the top of national pop and country charts for twenty weeks, and sold more than
6642-534: The Savages . These bands, like the Blasters, were inspired by a full range of historic American styles: blues, country, rockabilly, R&B and New Orleans jazz. They held a strong appeal for listeners who were tired of the commercially oriented MTV-style synthpop and glam metal bands that dominated radio play during this time period, but none of these musicians became major stars. In 1983, Neil Young recorded
6765-514: The TV movie Elvis , starring Kurt Russell . Actor Blake Gibbons portrayed Black in the short-lived 1990 TV series Elvis , starring Michael St. Gerard . In 2005, Clay Steakley portrayed Black in the 2005 CBS miniseries Elvis , starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers . In 2007, Black was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum . On April 4, 2009, Bill Black was inducted into
6888-470: The Teddy Boy revival created curiosity about the real music of the 1950s, particularly in England, where a rockabilly revival scene began to develop from the 1970s in record collecting and clubs. The most successful early product of the scene was Dave Edmunds , who joined up with songwriter Nick Lowe to form a band called Rockpile in 1975. They had a string of minor rockabilly-style hits like " I Knew
7011-463: The Tennessee Two, consisting of Marshall Grant on bass, and Luther Perkins (no relation to Carl Perkins) on lead guitar. This song and another Cash original, " Cry! Cry! Cry! " were released in July. "Cry! Cry! Cry!" managed to crack Billboard's Top 20, peaking at No. 14. Presley's second and third singles were not as successful as his first. His fourth release, "Baby, Let's Play House",
7134-656: The Texans, for two small labels, Infinity and Gothic: "Green Grass of Texas" backed with "Bloody River" (Infinity INX-001), released on February 20, 1961, and "Rockin' Johnny Home" backed with "Ole Reb" (Gothic GOX-001), released on May 29, 1961. Another instrumental, "Lonely Island" backed with"Green Hills" (Liberty 55460), credited to the Shamrocks, was released by Liberty Records on June 6, 1962. "Green Grass of Texas" and "Bloody River" were to be re-released in February 1965 on
7257-641: The US. In 2005, his greatest hits album The Collection reached number four in the British albums chart, and was released as a tie-in to his appearance on ITV entertainment show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time , going on to become the winner of the series. Other notable British rockabilly bands of the 1980s included The Jets , Crazy Cavan , Matchbox , and the Rockats . Jason & the Scorchers combined heavy metal , Chuck Berry and Hank Williams to create
7380-756: The United Kingdom were called Teddy Boys because they wore long, Edwardian -style frock coats , along with tight black drainpipe trousers and brothel creeper shoes. Another group in the 1950s that were followers of rockabilly were the Ton-Up boys, who rode British motorcycles and would later be known as rockers in the early 1960s. The rockers had adopted the classic greaser look of T-shirts , jeans, and leather jackets to go with their heavily slicked pompadour haircuts. The rockers loved 1950s rock and roll artists such as Gene Vincent, and some British rockabilly fans formed bands and played their own version of
7503-401: The United States and Europe and won awards as the best instrumental group in America in 1966 and 1967. Bob Tucker worked for the University of Memphis as Professor of Music Business while leading the combo. Black's main stand-up bass is today owned by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney , who received the instrument as a birthday present from his wife Linda in the late 1970s. The bass can be seen in
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#17327932810017626-604: The Vee Jay label (VJ 658), again credited to the Texans. In the fall of 1958, Johnny Burnette obtained a recording contract as a solo artist with Freedom Records , an offshoot of Liberty Records. He released three singles on this label: "Kiss Me" backed with "I'm Restless" (44001), released on September 11, 1958; "Gumbo" backed with "Me and the Bear" (44011), released on March 6, 1959; and "Sweet Baby Doll" backed with "I'll Never Love Again" (44017), released on June 24, 1959. All of these songs except "Sweet Baby Doll" were written by Burnette. None of these records were hits. In mid-1959,
7749-419: The as-yet-unknown Elvis Presley . Black slap played the double bass with Moore on lead guitar, while Presley played rhythm guitar and sang lead . Neither musician was overly impressed with Presley, but they agreed a studio session would be useful to explore his potential. On July 5, 1954, the trio met at Sun studios to rehearse and record a handful of songs. According to Moore, the first song they recorded
7872-450: The best ones into their shows. In 1951 and 1952, brothers Johnny and Dorsey Burnette , as well as Paul Burlison , played a blend of blues, country, and rockabilly at live shows in and around the Memphis area. in 1953, they played with Doc McQueen's swing band at the Hideaway Club for a time. While there, they wrote a song called "Rock Billy Boogie", named after the Burnette brothers' sons Rocky and Billy ( Rocky Burnette later became
7995-434: The better known musicians who recorded and performed these songs are: the Delmore Brothers , the Maddox Brothers and Rose , Merle Travis , Hank Williams , Hank Snow , and Tennessee Ernie Ford. White sharecroppers' sons Carl Perkins and his brothers Jay and Clayton, along with drummer W. S. Holland , had established themselves as one of the hottest bands on the honky-tonk circuit around Jackson, Tennessee . Most of
8118-470: The brother of Elvis's bassist Bill Black , was rapidly recruited to fill Dorsey's place. Despite the film appearance and three more single releases and one LP release, the group failed to achieve any chart success. The Rock and Roll Trio disbanded in autumn 1957. Now unemployed in Memphis, Burnette decided to try his luck in California. He and a friend, Joe Campbell, hitchhiked to the West Coast, where they joined Dorsey. With their past differences forgotten,
8241-453: The brothers attempted to resurrect the Rock and Roll Trio and sent for Paul Burlison. He joined them briefly but decided to return to Memphis and concentrate on his electrical business. Dorsey and Johnny continued with their songwriting, but Dorsey kept his day job as an electrician to pay the family expenses. The Burnettes' brashness got them their first success in the music business in California. On arriving in Los Angeles, Joe Campbell bought
8364-497: The can for thirty years. A fourth session was held on March 16, 1964, which was overseen by David Gates , who later went on to fame with the band Bread . This session produced "Sweet Suzie, I Think She Knows" and "It All Depends on Linda", which was written by Bobby Bare . Of these songs, "Sweet Suzie" backed with "Walkin' Talkin' Doll", which had been held back from the December 1963 session, were released as Capitol single (Capitol 5176) on April 5, 1964. This single also failed to make
8487-621: The charts stateside. Their third LP, Rant 'N' Rave with the Stray Cats , topped charts across the US and Europe as they sold-out shows everywhere during 1983. However, personal conflicts led the band to break up at the height of their popularity. Brian Setzer went on to solo success working in both rockabilly and swing styles, while Rocker and Phantom continued to record in bands both together and singly. The group has reconvened several times to make new records or tours and continue to attract large audiences live, although record sales have never again approached their early '80s success. The Jime entered
8610-408: The charts. When his Capitol contract ran out, Burnette decided to take charge of his own affairs on his own terms. He formed his own label Sahara and in July 1964 released the single "Fountain of Love" backed with "What a Summer Day" (Sahara 512). When he was informed that the name Sahara had already been taken, he renamed the label Magic Lamp and a different single, "Bigger Man" backed with "Less Than
8733-435: The development of rockabilly. The Memphis blues musician Junior Parker and his electric blues band, Little Junior's Blue Flames, featuring Pat Hare on the guitar, were a major influence on the rockabilly style, particularly with their songs " Love My Baby " and " Mystery Train " in 1953. Zeb Turner 's February 1953 recording of "Jersey Rock" with its mix of musical styles, lyrics about music and dancing, and guitar solo,
8856-504: The drummer for the Louisiana Hayride , to join him for future dates. By that time, many rockabilly bands were incorporating drums, which distinguished the sound from country music, where they were then uncommon. In the 1956 sessions shortly after Presley's move from Sun Records to RCA Victor, Presley was backed by a band that included Moore, Black, Fontana, and pianist Floyd Cramer . In 1956, Elvis also acquired vocal backup via
8979-527: The family privately after the service to express his condolences. According to Louis Black, Presley said, "If there's anything that y'all need, you just let me know and it's yours." Black's widow sold Bob Tucker and Larry Rogers the rights to use the name Bill Black's Combo. The band changed to country music when it joined Columbia Records, and won Billboard's Country Instrumental Group of the Year award in 1976. Bill Black's Combo cut more than 20 albums, toured
9102-438: The first intentional use of a distortion effect on a rock song, which was played by lead guitarist Paul Burlison. Elvis Presley 's first recordings took place at Sun Records, a small independent label run by record producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee. For several years, Phillips had been recording and releasing performances by blues and country musicians in the area. He also ran a service allowing anyone to come in off
9225-700: The flipside was changed to "All Week Long", but neither single made the charts. On December 13, 1963, a second session was held, with the same two men in charge. Four more songs were recorded, of which "The Opposite" backed with "You Taught Me the Way to Love You" (Capitol 5114) was released as a single on January 20, 1964. Again it failed to find chart success. A third session was held on February 14, 1964, which produced four songs: "Aunt Marie", "Two Feet in Front of Me", "If I Were An Artist", and "And Her Name Is Scarlett". None of these songs were deemed fit for release and remained in
9348-453: The group recorded four more songs, including " Blue Moon of Kentucky ", by the bluegrass musician Bill Monroe , which he had written and recorded as a slow waltz . Sources credit Black with initiating the song, with Presley and Moore joining in. Moore said, "Bill is the one who came up with "Blue Moon of Kentucky." ... We're taking a little break and he starts beating on the bass and singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky," mocking Bill Monroe, singing
9471-411: The group's performances. According to Black's son Louis, Moore said, "Elvis used to just stand up there and not move, and Bill would jump around on the bass. Your daddy would come down through there and get everybody to laughing and loosen them up." Fontana called Black the mainstay of the band in the early days. "He was a comedian who could warm up a crowd. That was necessary for us because we played for
9594-561: The guitarist Scotty Moore . Along with two other guitarists and a fiddler, they performed country music tunes by Hank Williams and Red Foley in Doug Poindexter 's band, the Starlight Wranglers. Black and Moore also played in a band with Paul Burlison , Johnny Burnette , Dorsey Burnette on steel guitar , and a drummer. In July 1954, Sam Phillips , of Sun Records , asked Black and Moore to play backup for
9717-493: The high falsetto voice. Elvis joins in with him, starts playing and singing along with him ..." They ended up with a fast version of the song in 4/4 time. After an early take, Phillips can be heard on tape saying, "Fine, man. Hell, that's different—that's a pop song now, nearly ʼbout." Phillips took several acetates of the session to DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation) of Memphis radio station WHBQ's Red, Hot and Blue show. From August 18 through December 8, "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
9840-434: The late 1970s and early 1980s, rockabilly enjoyed a revival. An interest in the genre endures even in the 21st century, often within musical subcultures . Rockabilly has spawned a variety of sub-styles and has influenced the development of other genres such as punk rock . There was a close relationship between blues and country music from the very earliest country recordings in the 1920s. The first nationwide country hit
9963-412: The late 1990s, recognized by Guinness World Records as having the highest sales claim for a pop vinyl recording, with an "unaudited" claim of 25 million copies sold. Maine native and Connecticut resident Bill Flagg began using the term rockabilly for his combination of rock 'n' roll and hillbilly music as early as 1953. He cut several songs for Tetra Records in 1956 and 1957. "Go Cat Go" went into
10086-614: The most noteworthy examples of this trend, but they and other artists like Steve Earle and the Kentucky Headhunters charted many records with this approach. Bill Black William Patton Black Jr. (September 17, 1926 – October 21, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader who is noted as one of the pioneers of rock and roll . He played in Elvis Presley 's early trio, The Blue Moon Boys . Black later formed Bill Black's Combo . William Patton Black Jr.
10209-548: The music. The most notable of these bands was The Beatles . When John Lennon first met Paul McCartney , he was impressed that McCartney knew all the chords and the words to Eddie Cochran's " Twenty Flight Rock ". As the band became more professional and began playing in Hamburg, they took on the "Beatle" name (inspired by Buddy Holly's band The Crickets ) and they adopted the black leather look of Gene Vincent. Musically, they combined Holly's melodic songwriting sensibility with
10332-567: The other ladies, Janis Martin, the female Elvis Jo Ann Campbell , and Alis Lesley , who also sang in the rockabilly style. Mel Kimbrough -"Slim", recorded "I Get Lonesome Too" and "Ha Ha, Hey Hey" for Glenn Records along with "Love in West Virginia" and "Country Rock Sound" for Checkmate a division of Caprice Records. Gene Summers , a Dallas native and Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee, released his classic Jan/Jane 45s in 1958–59. He continued to record rockabilly music well into 1964 with
10455-703: The outro guitar riff to that song was inspired by the corresponding intro guitar riff on "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes". This live in-studio recording of 'Lonesome Tears in My Eyes' (including Lennon's spoken intro) was later included on the Beatles' 1994 two-CD set, Live at the BBC . My brother Dorsey and I first got to know Elvis Presley when he went to Humes High and we went to the Catholic High... Elvis would tote his guitar on his back when he rode past on his motor-cycle on his way to school. He would see us and always wave. NME , February 1961 Johnny Burnette and
10578-440: The past year and a half and unable to travel. Nonetheless, he insisted that the band continue without him. Bill Black's Combo created musical history in 1964 when they became the opening act for the Beatles (at their request) on their historic 13-city tour of America after their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . Black himself was not well enough to make the tour. After two surgeries and lengthy hospital stays, Black died of
10701-584: The release of "Alabama Shake". In 2005, Summers's most popular recording, School of Rock 'n Roll , was selected by Bob Solly and Record Collector Magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Records". Tommy " Sleepy LaBeef " LaBeff recorded rockabilly tunes on a number of labels from 1957 through 1963. Rockabilly pioneers the Maddox Brothers and Rose continued to record for decades. However, none of these artists had any major hits and their influence would not be felt until decades later. In
10824-638: The rockabilly scene in 1983, when Vince Gordon formed his band. The Jime was a Danish Band. The Jime was the band of Vince Gordon, rockabilly guitarist. Not only was he the nerve of the band, Vince Gordon was the band. He composed nearly all its songs and hits. Vince Gordon also left his mark on the rockabilly scene in many ways. Expert Fred Sokolow talks about the Vince Gordon style in Rockabilly due to his composing. Vince Gordon had many different musicians in his band. The lifetime of
10947-422: The rockabilly sound included strong rhythms, boogie woogie piano riffs, vocal twangs , doo-wop acapella singing, and common use of the tape echo ; and eventually came to incorporate different instruments and vocal harmonies. Initially popularized by artists such as Carl Perkins , Elvis Presley , Johnny Burnette , Jerry Lee Lewis and others, the rockabilly style waned in the late 1950s; nonetheless, during
11070-519: The rough rock and roll sound of Vincent and Carl Perkins. When The Beatles became worldwide stars, they released versions of three different Carl Perkins songs, more than any other songwriter outside the band, except Larry Williams , who also added three songs to their discography. (Curiously, none of these three were sung by the Beatles' regular lead vocalists—"Honey Don't" (sung by Ringo) and "Everybody's Trying to be my Baby" (sung by George) from Beatles for Sale (1964) and "Matchbox" (sung by Ringo) on
11193-520: The school baseball team and playing linebacker on the football team. Both he and Dorsey were also keen amateur boxers and later became Golden Gloves champions. After leaving high school, Burnette tried his hand at becoming a professional boxer, but after one fight with a sixty-dollar purse and a broken nose, he decided to quit boxing. He went to work on barges traversing the Mississippi River , where Dorsey also worked. Johnny worked mainly as
11316-530: The slapped bass that Fred Maddox had developed". They had shifted into higher gear leaning toward a whimsical honky-tonk feel, with a heavy, manic bottom end and high volume. The Maddoxes were known for their lively, antic-filled shows, which were an influential novelty for white listeners and musicians alike. Along with country, swing and boogie influences, jump blues artists such as Wynonie Harris and Roy Brown , and electric blues acts such as Howlin' Wolf , Junior Parker , and Arthur Crudup , influenced
11439-501: The songs they played were country standards with a faster rhythm. It was here that Carl started composing his first songs. While playing, he would watch the dance floor to see what the audience preferred and adjust his compositions to suit, writing them down only when he was sure they were finished. Carl sent numerous demos to New York record companies with no success; the producers believed the Perkins' style of rhythmically-driven country
11562-483: The street and for a modest fee, record themselves on a two-song vanity record. One young man who came to record himself as a surprise for his mother, he claimed, was Elvis Presley. Presley made enough of an impression that Phillips deputized guitarist Scotty Moore , who then enlisted bassist Bill Black , both from the Starlight Wranglers, a local western swing band, to work with the young man. The trio rehearsed dozens of songs, from traditional country to gospel. During
11685-467: The studio and reported that Bill would be totally absorbed mixing and playing back tracks. Bob Tucker and Larry Rogers purchased Lyn-Lou Studios after Bill Black's death in 1965. The studio recorded many Bill Black Combo albums (with billings such as "The Best Honky Tonk Band in America" and "The band who opened for the Beatles") and produced number-one country hits for Charly McClain, T.G. Shepard, Billy Swan and others. The house band for these sessions
11808-461: The studio and under Snuff Garrett 's direction recorded " Little Boy Sad ". This was released on January 3, 1961, backed with "(I Go) Down to the River" (Liberty F-55298). Shortly after its release, Burnette was hospitalized with a ruptured appendix, which kept him bedridden for several weeks. He was unable to undertake many personal appearances to promote the new record, and it reached only number 17 on
11931-512: The studio work and movie appearances. Carl McVoy replaced Hall in the studio, while Bobby Emmons replaced him on tour. The band released blues instrumental "Smokie" for Hi Records (Hi 2018) in December 1959. " Smokie, Part 2 " became a No. 17 U.S. pop hit, and made number one on the "black" music charts. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA . A follow-up release, "White Silver Sands" (Hi 2021),
12054-524: The summer of 1958 Eddie Cochran had a chart-topping hit with " Summertime Blues ". Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "Sitting in the Balcony" released in early 1957, " C'mon Everybody " released in October 1958, and " Somethin' Else " released in July 1959. Then in April 1960, while touring with Gene Vincent in the UK, their taxi crashed into a concrete lamp post, killing Eddie at
12177-626: The three moved to New York in 1956 and managed to get an audition for Ted Mack 's Original Amateur Hour . Winning the competition three times in a row gained them a place in the finals and a recording contract with Coral Records , and they renamed themselves the Rock and Roll Trio . They also gained a manager, the bandleader Henry Jerome , and a drummer, Tony Austin (a cousin of Carl Perkins ). Promotional appearances were arranged on Dick Clark 's American Bandstand , Steve Allen 's Tonight Show and Perry Como 's Kraft Music Hall , together with
12300-440: The true realization of the Rockabilly genre. In addition to the fusion of distinct genres, Presley's recordings contain some traditional as well as new traits: "nervously up tempo" (as Peter Guralnick describes it), with slap bass, fancy guitar picking, much echo, shouts of encouragement, and vocals full of histrionics such as hiccups, stutters, and swoops from falsetto to bass and back again. In 1955, Elvis asked D.J. Fontana ,
12423-412: The workaday world of parents and authority figures. It was the first rock 'n' roll style to be performed primarily by white musicians, thus setting off a cultural revolution that is still reverberating today. "Rockabilly" deviance from social norms, however, was more symbolic than real; and eventual public professions of faith by aging rockabillies were not uncommon. The first wave of rockabilly fans in
12546-560: The years. Presley's unique musical style rocketed him into the spotlight, and drew masses of followers. Nobody was sure what to call Presley's music, so Elvis was described as "The Hillbilly Cat" and "King of Western Bop". Over the next year, Elvis would record four more singles for Sun. Rockabilly recorded by artists prior to Presley can be described as being in the long-standing country style of Rockabilly. Presley's recordings are described by some as quintessential rockabilly for their true union of country and R&B, which can be described as
12669-400: The young age of 21. The grim coincidence in this all was that his posthumous UK number-one hit was called " Three Steps to Heaven ". Rockabilly music enjoyed great popularity in the United States during 1956 and 1957, but radio play declined after 1960. Factors contributing to this decline are usually cited as the 1959 death of Buddy Holly in an airplane crash (along with Ritchie Valens and
12792-427: Was " I Love You Because ", but after a few country music songs that weren't impressive they decided to take a break. During the break, Presley began "acting the fool" with Arthur Crudup 's " That's All Right (Mama) ", a blues song. When the other two musicians joined in, Phillips taped the song. The upbeat sound was original. Black remarked, "Damn. Get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town." The next day,
12915-452: Was " Wreck of the Old 97 ", backed with "The Prisoner's Song", which also became quite popular. Jimmie Rodgers , the "first true country star", was known as the "Blue Yodeler", and most of his songs used blues-based chord progressions , although with very different instrumentation and sound from the recordings of his black contemporaries like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Bessie Smith . During
13038-714: Was a Top 10 hit (#9) and, like its predecessor, topped the R&;B charts for four weeks. Eight of the recordings by Bill Black's Combo placed in the Top 40 between 1959 and 1962. The Combo appeared in the 1961 film Teenage Millionaire and on The Ed Sullivan Show , where they performed a medley of "Don't Be Cruel", "Cherry Pink", and "Hearts of Stone", and were voted Billboard's number one instrumental group of 1961. Albums with themes included Bill Black's Combo Plays Tunes by Chuck Berry , Bill Black's Combo Goes Big Band , Bill Black's Combo Goes West , and Bill Black's Combo Plays
13161-592: Was an active rockabilly scene. Early shows were attended by the Rolling Stones and Dave Edmunds, who quickly ushered the boys into a recording studio. The Stray Cats had three UK Top Ten singles to their credit and two bestselling albums. They returned to the US, performing on the TV show Fridays with a message flashing across the screen that they had no record deal in the States. Soon EMI picked them up, their first videos appeared on MTV, and they stormed up
13284-629: Was born on September 17, 1926, in Memphis , Tennessee, to a motorman for the Memphis Street Railway Co . He was the oldest of nine children. His father played popular songs on the banjo and fiddle to entertain the family. Black learned to play music at the age of 14 on an instrument made by his father—a cigar box with a board nailed to it and strings attached. At the age of sixteen, Black was performing " honky-tonk " music on acoustic guitar in local bars. During World War II, Black
13407-593: Was born to Willie May and Dorsey Burnett Sr. in Memphis, Tennessee , United States. (The "e" at the end of his name was added later.) Johnny grew up with his parents and Dorsey Jr. in a public housing project in the Lauderdale Courts area of Memphis, which from 1948 until 1954 was also the home of Gladys and Vernon Presley and their son, Elvis . Johnny attended Blessed Sacrament School, and after graduating from eighth grade he went to Catholic High School , in Memphis. He showed an aptitude for sports, being on
13530-615: Was broadcast live from Los Angeles, CA at exactly the same time that this Burnette trio had performed on ABC televised "Original Amateur Hour" in New York. Furthermore, the CBS show that had broadcast Elvis in Los Angles, had garnered an 82.6% share, or 60,710,000 viewers, whereas the ABC and NBC networks had garnered less than 5 million viewers each. In order to cover their living expenses, the Trio
13653-595: Was canceled in favor of " God, Country and My Baby " backed with "Honestly I Do" (Liberty 55379), which was released on September 27, 1961. It reached number 18 on the Hot 100, but was to be Burnette's last major American hit. In 1962, Burnette toured Britain for the first time, with Gary U.S. Bonds and Gene McDaniels , where he made an appearance on the New Musical Express Poll Winners' Concert and several TV appearances. His next single "Clown Shoes" backed with "The Way I Am" (Liberty 55416)
13776-534: Was consistently higher on the charts, and then both sides began to chart across the South. Black and Moore became Presley's backup group and were paid 25% of his earnings. Moore and Black left the Starlite Wranglers after the success of "That's All Right", jealousy within the group forcing them to split. Their recordings at Sun were released with the credits as "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill." The group
13899-430: Was denied airplay on both country radio stations and R&B stations for being "too black" and "too white", respectively. Country deejays told Phillips they would be "run out of town" for playing it. When the song was finally played by one rogue deejay, Dewey Phillips, Presley's recording created so much excitement it was described as having waged war on segregated radio stations. All of Presley's early singles featured
14022-407: Was doing some songs by black artists." In 1954, both Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins auditioned for Sam Phillips . Cash hoped to record gospel music, but Phillips was not interested. In October 1954, Carl Perkins recorded his original song " Movie Magg ", which was released in March 1955 on Phillips's all-country label Flip. Cash returned to Sun in 1955 with his song " Hey, Porter ", and his group
14145-661: Was forced to go on the road, for what seemed to be an endless stream of one-night stands. This exhausting regime led to squabbles, which were exacerbated in Dorsey's case by Jerome's use of the name Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio on records and live dates. Things finally came to a head at a gig in Niagara Falls in autumn 1956, when, as a result of a fight, Dorsey quit the group a week before they were to appear in Alan Freed 's film Rock, Rock, Rock . Johnny Black,
14268-637: Was later billed as "Elvis Presley and the Blue Moon Boys." Over the next 15 months, the trio released five singles, toured across the South, and appeared regularly on the Louisiana Hayride . They had auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry in October 1954, but they failed to impress the people in charge, or the audience, and were not invited back. In 1955, Black went to RCA Victor along with Presley and Moore when Presley's contract
14391-693: Was not commercially viable. That would change in 1955 after recording the song " Blue Suede Shoes " (recorded December 19, 1955) on Sam Phillips ' Memphis-based Sun Records . Later made more famous by Elvis Presley , Perkins' original version was an early rock 'n' roll standard. In the early 1950s, there was heavy competition among Memphis area bands playing an audience-savvy mix of covers, original songs, and hillbilly flavored blues. One source mentions both local disc jockey Dewey Phillips and producer Sam Phillips as being influential. An early radio show on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas quickly became
14514-703: Was released in May 1955, and peaked at number five on the national Billboard Country Chart. In August, Sun released Elvis's versions of " I Forgot to Remember to Forget " and "Mystery Train". "Remember to Forget" spent a total of 39 weeks on the Billboard Country Chart, five at the number one spot. "Mystery Train", peaked at number 11. Through most of 1955, Cash, Perkins, Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride performers toured through Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. Sun released two more Perkins songs in October: "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "Let
14637-600: Was released on January 26, 1962, but it failed to make the US Hot 100. It was more successful in Britain, where it reached number 35. "Clown Shoes" was written by P. J. Proby . Burnette had two more single releases on Liberty Records. These were "The Fool of the Year" backed with "The Poorest Boy in Town" (Liberty 55448), which was released on April 13, 1962, and "Damn the Defiant" backed with "Lonesome Waters" (Liberty 55489), which
14760-552: Was released on July 30, 1962. Neither of these singles was a hit, but "Damn the Defiant", a Johnny Horton –style naval saga, was Burnette's first self-penned A-side for Liberty, It was also his last single for the label. Burnette moved to Chancellor Records , which had had success with teen idols like Fabian Forte and Frankie Avalon . Chancellor released three singles by Burnette in 1962: "I Wanna Thank Your Folks" backed with "The Giant" (Chancellor C-1116), "Tag Along" backed with "Party Girl" (Chancellor C-1123) and "Remember Me (I'm
14883-477: Was sold to that company. Except for the RCA reissue of "Mystery Train" and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" ("with Scotty and Bill"), they were no longer credited on record labels. Black played on early Presley recordings including "Good Rockin' Tonight", " Heartbreak Hotel ", "Baby Let's Play House", " Mystery Train ", " That's All Right ", and " Hound Dog ", and eventually became one of the first bass players to use
15006-569: Was stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Lee in Virginia . While in the Army, he met Evelyn, who played guitar as a member of a musical family. They married in 1946 and returned to Memphis. Black worked at the Firestone plant. He began playing the upright double bass , modeling his " slap bass " technique after one of his idols, Fred Maddox, of Maddox Brothers and Rose . Black also developed
15129-529: Was the Shylo Band, featuring guitarist/songwriter Ronnie Scaife, nephew of Cecil Scaife, famed Sun Studio engineer. Early in 1963, Black sent from two to five different versions of the Combo to different regions of the country at the same time, while staying off the road himself, wanting to concentrate on his business, family and his health. In 1963, Bob Tucker joined Bill Black's Combo as a road manager and guitar/bass player. Black himself had been ill for
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