Singer
Johnny Burnette was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1934, and was a boyhood
friend of Elvis Presley. Burnette and the Rock ‘n Roll Trio is often credited
as the “pioneers” of rockabilly music.
The
legendary album,
“Rock and Roll Trio” (1988), is one of the finest collections of early rock and
roll. The album collects the early singles of Burnette and the Trio and
contains at least three masterpieces, “The Train Kept a-Rollin’,” “Honey Hush,”
and “Lonesome Train.” The title of the song, “Rock Billy Boogie,” is believed
to be the origin of the name given to this style of music, “rockabilly.”
Burnette scored pop hits in the Sixties without the
Rock and Roll Trio, including “You’re Sixteen,” in 1960, but his best work was
during the birth of rock and roll about five years earlier. Burnette died in a
boating accident in 1964, at the age of 30.
Carl Perkins, born in Tipton, Tennessee,
in 1932, is one of the fathers of rock and roll music. Perkins started his
career playing country music and then became a rockabilly performer when that style
gained prominence on the strength of Elvis Presley’s first recordings with Sun
Records. Perkins also recorded for Sun Records with Presley, Johnny Cash and
Jerry Lee Lewis as label mates.
Perkins recorded his first single in 1955,
and in 1956, he recorded his classics, “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Honey Don’t.”
The former tune would become a rock standard and be recorded by a plethora of
artists including Elvis Presley. The latter song would be covered by The
Beatles in the early Sixties. By the Sixties, Perkins had returned to country
music.
Among Perkin’s classics recordings are the
following albums and compilations: “Dance Album of Carl Perkins” (1958), “Whole
Lotta Shakin’,” (1958), “Original Golden Hits” (1970), and “Original Sun
Greatest Hits” (1986).
Perkins, one of the true gentlemen of rock
and roll and country music, died in 1998.
Little Richard was probably the most
flamboyant of the early fathers of rock and roll. Richard’s flamboyance, which
usually manifested itself in colorful clothing and animated behavior, also
found expression through Richard’s claims that he had invented rock and roll
music. Nevertheless, he was a singer, pianist, and songwriter of the highest
order, and one of the most influential figures in rock and roll history
Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia,
in 1932. He started his career as an R&B singer/pianist, making his first
recording in 1951 with the single, “Taxi Blues,” for RCA. Richard recorded
several more singles before he scored his first big hit with “Tutti Fruitti” in
1955. The next year, 1956, would see Richard record a slew of hits including
the classic songs, “Long Tall Sally,” “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” “Ready Teddy,”
and “Rip it Up.”
In 1957, a full-length album of Richard’s
songs would appear, “Here’s Little Richard,” one of the first rock album
masterpieces. The album contained all of Richard’s hit singles up to that point
and other fine tracks. Another classic album would follow in 1958, with “Little
Richard,” featuring the classic songs, “Keep-A-Knockin,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,”
“Lucille,” and “The Girl Can’t Help It.” Richard’s popularity and fine piano chops
helped to position the piano as an important instrument in early rock and roll.
In the Fifties, Richard disappeared from
the pop music scene as quickly as he had appeared, turning to bible studies at
a theological college. He would record only gospel music for the next four
years. Little Richard eventually returned to rock and roll and is still active
today.
David Allen Coe, born in Akron, Ohio,
in 1939, along with Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, helped to pave the way
for a country subgenre of music called “outlaw country.” The subgenre featured
longhaired, denim-wearing heroes like Coe who embraced and expressed a
rule-breaking philosophy of life.
Coe, like Merle Haggard, came by his outlaw
image honestly. Both Coe and Haggard did lengthy stretches in prison prior to
the start of their music careers. Coe’s debut album, released shortly after his
release from prison, is a bluesy masterpiece. The album was titled,
“Penitentiary Blues.” With songs like “Cell 33,” Dear Warden,” and “Death Row,”
the album is musically and lyrically riveting.
Coe released many fine country albums
during the Seventies including, “The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy” (1974),
“Longhaired Redneck” (1976), “Texas Moon” (1977), and “Tattoo” (1978). In 1975,
Coe scored a major country hit with a cover version of Steve Goodman’s, “You
Never Even Call Me by My Name.”
Singer Johnny Burnette was born in Memphis, Tennessee,
in 1934, and was a boyhood friend of Elvis Presley. Burnette and the Rock ‘n
Roll Trio is often credited as the “pioneers” of rockabilly music.
The legendary album, “Rock and Roll Trio”
(1988), is one of the finest collections of early rock and roll. The album
collects the early singles of Burnette and the Trio and contains at
least three masterpieces, “The Train Kept a-Rollin’,” “Honey Hush,” and
“Lonesome Train.” The title of the song, “Rock Billy Boogie,” is believed to be
the origin of the name given to this style of music, “rockabilly.”
Burnette scored pop hits in the Sixties without the
Rock and Roll Trio, including “You’re Sixteen,” in 1960, but his best work was
during the birth of rock and roll about five years earlier. Burnette died in a
boating accident in 1964, at the age of 30.
Roy Orbison was
one of the early greats of rock and roll music who is now best remembered for
his hit song, “Pretty Woman.” In the Fifties and early Sixties, however,
Orbison had a slew of hits and was one of the most successful of the early
rockers.
Orbison was born
in Vernon, Texas, in 1936. By the late Fifties, Orbison had become a member of
Sun Records’ legendary roster of musicians which included Jerry Lee Lewis,
Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins. Sun Records had just recently lost Elvis Presley.
Like Cash and Perkins, Orbison was a rockabilly performer in his earliest
incarnation, recording the rockabilly classics, “Ooby Dooby,” “Trying to Get to
You,” and “Go! Go! Go!”
By the Sixties,
Orbison was recording for Monument and added pop ballads to his repertoire with
the hits, “Only the Lonely,” “Running Scared,” and “Crying.” In 1964, Orbison
would record his biggest hit, “Pretty Woman.”
Orbison would
continue to record singles for the remainder of the Sixties and Seventies, but
would not score another major hit. Orbison would become a member of The
Traveling Willburys in the early Eighties along with Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan,
George Harrison and Tom Petty.
Orbison’s best
albums include, “Crying” (1962), “In Dreams” (1963), “Orbisongs” (1965), “Cry
Softly Lonely One” (1967), “Roy Orbison’s Many Moods” (1969), and “Mystery
Girl” (1989).
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