Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950's. Boogie-woogie is a style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. ... Western swing is, first and foremost, a fusion of country music, several styles of jazz, pop music and blues aimed at dancers. ... For other uses, see Rhythm and blues (disambiguation). ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... Rock and roll (also spelled rock n roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... In the early 1960s, one of the most popular forms of rock and roll was surf rock. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Punkabilly is a mix of punk rock from the 1970s, and rockabilly. ... Gothabilly is a portmanteau expression which refers to the fusion of rockabilly music and the Goth culture. ... A raggare in his ideal environment, with a beer, on the bonnet of a 1960s car (photo taken during Power Big Meet in 2005). ... The Teddy boy youth culture first emerged in Britain (starting in London, but rapidly spreading across the country) during the early 1950s, and soon after became strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. ... Still from Hot Rod Girls Save The World (Go-Kustom Films, 2007) Kustom Kulture is a US neologism used to describe the artwork, the vehicles, the hairstyles, and the fashions of those who drove and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States of America from the 1950s through... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

The term "rockabilly" is a portmanteau of "rock," from rock and roll, and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music (often called "hillbilly music" in the 1940s and '50s) that contributed strongly to the style's development. Other important influences on rockabilly include Western Swing, blues music, boogie woogie, and Jump blues. Although there are notable exceptions, its origins lie primarily in the Southern USA. A portmanteau (IPA: ) is a word or morpheme that fuses two or more words or word parts to give a combined or loaded meaning. ... Hillbilly is a term, often considered pejorative but sometimes endearing, referring to people who dwell in remote, rural, mountainous areas. ... country music, see Country music (disambiguation) Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States. ... Western swing is, first and foremost, a fusion of country music, several styles of jazz, pop music and blues aimed at dancers. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental musical form which evolved from African American spirituals, shouts, work songs and chants and has its earliest stylistic roots in West Africa. ... Boogie-woogie is a style of blues piano playing that became very popular in the 1940s and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music. ... Jump blues is a type of up-tempo blues music influenced by big band sound. ... Southern United StatesThe states shown in dark red are usually included in the South, while all or portions of the striped states may or may not be considered part of the Southern United States. ...

The influence and popularity of the style waned in the 1960s, but during the late 1970s and early 1980s, rockabilly enjoyed a major revival of popularity that has endured to the present, often within a rockabilly enthusiast subculture. In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ...

Origins

"Rockabilly" by Harlan Ellison. Originally published in 1961, this novel was based on the life of Elvis Presley

There was a close relationship between the blues and country music from the very earliest country recordings in the 1920s. 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 than the recordings of his black contemporaries like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Bessie Smith.^[1] Image File history File links Rockabilly2. ... Image File history File links Rockabilly2. ... Harlan Jay Ellison (born May 27, 1934) is a prolific American writer of short stories, novellas, teleplays, essays, and criticism. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... A chord progression (also chord sequence and harmonic progression or sequence), as its name implies, is a series of chords played in order. ... Blind Lemon Jefferson (September 1893 – December 1929) was an influential blues singer and guitarist from Texas. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

During the 1930s and 1940s, two new sounds emerged that mixed country with current black musical styles. 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' found massive popularity. After blues artists like Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson launched a nationwide boogie craze starting in 1938, country artists like Moon Mullican, the Delmore Brothers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose began recording what was known as “Hillbilly Boogie,” which consisted of "hillbilly" vocals and instrumentation with a boogie bass line.^[2] James Robert (Bob) Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American country musician, songwriter, and big band leader. ... The Texas Playboys were a Western Swing band, long led by Bob Wills, and considered by many to be the definitive progenitor of that musical genre. ... Western swing is, first and foremost, a fusion of country music, several styles of jazz, pop music and blues aimed at dancers. ... A Dobro style resonator guitar Steel guitar, strictly speaking, refers to a method of playing using a metal slide (or steel) on a guitar played horizontally, with the strings uppermost. ... A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late 1940s, although there are many big-bands around nowadays. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... In a symphony orchestra the horn section is the group of musicians who play the horn (sometimes referred to as the French horn). ... Blues music redirects here. ... Meade Anderson Lux Lewis (1905 - 1964) was a United States pianist and composer noted for his work in the Boogie Woogie style. ... Peter (Pete) Johnson (March 24/25, 1904 - March 23, 1967) was an American jazz pianist best known as a leading boogie-woogie player. ... Boogie-woogie is a style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. ... Moon Mullican was an American country and western singer and pianist in the late 1940s and 1950s from Louisiana. ... Alton (1908-1964) and Rabon Delmore (1916-1952), billed as The Delmore Brothers, were country music pioneers and stars of the Grand Ole Opry in the 1930s. ... Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), better known by the stage name Tennessee Ernie Ford, was a pioneering U.S. recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country & western, pop, and gospel musical genres. ... The Maddox Brothers and Rose was a country music band which was based in California from the 1930s to the 1950s. ... Boogie-woogie is a style of piano-based blues that became very popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. ...

The Maddox Brothers and Rose were at "the leading edge of rockabilly with the slapped bass that Fred Maddox had developed".[1] [2] Others believe that they were not only at the leading edge, but were one of the first, if not the first, “Rockabilly” group. [3]

Emmylou Harris believes that performers such as Rose Maddox have never received the recognition they deserve. She says part of this is due to what she calls a reluctance in American society to celebrate the value of white country and roots music. [4] Emmylou Harris (b. ...

Zeb Turner's February 1953 recording of "Jersey Rock" with its mix of musical styles, lyrics about music and dancing, and guitar solo, [5] is another example of the mixing of musical genres in the first half of the 1950s.

Bill Monroe is known as the originator 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 rockablly.^[3] For the retired NBC News correspondent of the same name, see Bill Monroe (journalist). ... Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music. ...

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 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.^[4] Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ...

Memphis, Tennessee

The Saturday Night Jamboree

The Saturday Night Jamboree was a local stage show held every Saturday night at the Goodwyn Institute Auditorium in downtown Memphis, Tennessee in 1953-54. But of more historical significance was something that was going on backstage in the dressing rooms. Every Saturday night in 1953, the dressing rooms backstage were a gathering place where musicians would come together and experiment with new sounds - mixing fast country, gospel, blues and boogie woogie. Guys were bringing in new "licks" that they had developed and were teaching them to other musicians and were learning new "licks" from yet other musicians backstage. Soon these new sounds began to make their way out onto the stage of the Jamboree where they found a very receptive audience.

Within a year these musicians were going into the recording studios around town and recording these sounds. A couple of years later these sounds were given a name: "rockabilly." The Saturday Night Jamboree was probably where the first live rockabilly was performed. [6]

Carl Perkins

Sharecroppers' sons Carl Perkins and his brothers Jay and Clayton, along with drummer W. S. Holland, had been playing their music roughly ninety miles from Memphis. The Perkins Brothers Band, featuring both Carl and Jay on lead vocals, quickly established themselves as the hottest band on the cutthroat, get-hot-or-go-home Jackson, TN honky tonk circuit. Most of the requests for songs were for hillbilly songs that were delivered as jived up versions - classic Hank Williams standards infused with a faster rhythm. ^[5] It was here that Carl started composing his first songs with an eye toward the future. Watching the dance floor at all times for a reaction, working out a more rhythmically driving style of music that was neither country nor blues, but had elements of both, Perkins kept reshaping these loosely structured songs until he had a completed composition, which would then be finally put to paper. Carl was already sending demos to New York record companies, who kept rejecting him, sometimes explaining that this strange new hybrid of country with a Black rhythm fit no current commercial trend. That would change in 1954. [7] [8] Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country music that was recorded most notably at Sun Records in Memphis beginning in 1954. ...

The Burnettes and Burlison

Younger musicians around Memphis, Tennessee were beginning to play a mix of musical styles. Paul Burlison, for one, was playing in nondescript hillbilly bands in the very early 1950s. One of these early groups secured a fifteen minute show on radio station KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas. The time slot was adjacent to Howlin' Wolf's and the music quickly became a curious blend of blues, country and what would become known as rockabilly music. In 1951 and 1952 the Burnettes (Johnny and Dorsey) and Burlison played around Memphis and established a reputation for wild music. They played with Doc McQueen's Swing Band at the Hideaway Club but hated the type of music played by "chart musicians." Soon they broke away and began playing their energetic brand of rockabilly to small, but appreciative, local audiences. They wrote "Rock Billy Boogie," while working at the Hideaway. [9] Unfortunately for the Burnettes and Burlison, they didn't record the song until 1957. [10] [11]

Use of the term Rockabilly

In an interview that can be viewed at the Experience Music Project, Barbara Pittman states that, "It was so new and it was so easy. It was a three chord change. Rockabilly was actually an insult to the southern rockers at that time. Over the years it has picked up a little dignity. It was their way of calling us hillbillies." View of the EMP from the Seattle Center with the monorail traveling through it. ... Barbara Pittman (April 25, 1939 - October 29, 2005) was one of the few female singers who recorded at Sun Studio. ...

Although the term was in common use even before the Burnettes wrote "Rock Billy Boogie", one of the first written uses of the term "rockabilly" was in a June 23, 1956 Billboard review of Ruckus Tyler's "Rock Town Rock".[12]

North of the Mason Dixon Line

Bill Haley

In 1951, a western swing bandleader named Bill Haley recorded a version of "Rocket 88" with his group, the Saddlemen. 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 #12 on the American Billboard chart in 1953. [13] Bill Haley, with his band, the Comets, was one of the first rock and roll acts to tour the United Kingdom. ... Rocket 88 is a rhythm and blues song from 1951. ... Rock the Joint, also known as Were Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight, is a boogie song recorded by various proto-rock and roll singers, notably Jimmy Preston and Bill Haley, either of whose versions has been cited as a contender for being the first rock and roll record.[1... Crazy Man, Crazy was the title of an early rock and roll song first recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in April 1953. ... It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ...

On April 12, 1954, Haley with his band (now known as Bill Haley & His Comets) recorded "Rock Around the Clock for Decca Records of New York City. When first released in May of 1954, "Rock Around the Clock" made the charts for one week at number 23, and sold 75,000 copies. [14] A year later it was featured in the film Blackboard Jungle, and soon afterwards it was topping charts all over the world and opening up a new genre of entertainment. "Rock Around the Clock" hit No. 1, held that position for eight weeks, and was the #2 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 1955.[15] The recording was, until 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.[16] This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Rock Around the Clock is a rock n roll song from 1952, written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter under the pseudonym Jimmy De Knight). Although first recorded by Sonny Dae & the Knights, the more famous version by Bill Haley & His Comets is not, strictly speaking... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... Blackboard Jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an inner-city school. ... Guinness World Records 2008 edition. ...

"Rock 'n' roll," an expansive term coined a couple years earlier by DJ Alan Freed, had now been to the pop mountaintop, a position it would never quite relinquish. [17][18]

Bill Flagg

Maine native, and Connecticut resident Bill Flagg began using the term rockbilly for his combination of rock 'n' roll and hillbilly music as early as 1953.[19] He cut several songs for Tetra Records in 1956 and 1957.[20] "Go Cat Go" went into the National Billboard charts in 1956, and his "Guitar Rock" is cited as classic rockabilly.

Elvis Presley

Sun Records was a small independent label run by 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 the street and for $3.98 (plus tax) record himself 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.^[6] Label of the fourth Sun Records Sun Records has been the name for four 20th century record labels. ... Sam Phillips, born Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – June 30, 2003), was a record producer who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s. ... “Elvis” redirects here. ...

According to Phillips, “Ninety-five percent of the people I had been working with were black, most of them of course no name people. Elvis fit right in. He was born and raised in poverty. He was around black folks an awful lot. He was around people that had very little in the way of worldly goods.” ^[7]

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 green young Elvis.^[8] The trio rehearsed dozens of songs, from traditional country, to "Harbor Lights", a hit for crooner Bing Crosby [21] to gospel. During a break on July 5, 1954 Elvis "jumped up ... and started frailin' guitar and singin' "That's Alright, Mama" (a 1946 blues song by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup). Scotty and Bill began playing along. Excited, Phillips told them to “back up and start from the beginning.” Two or three takes later, Phillips had a satisfactory recording, and released “That’s All Right,” on July 19, 1954, along with an "Elvis Presley Scotty and Bill" version of Bill Monroe's waltz, Blue Moon of Kentucky, a country standard. ^[9] Winfield Scott Scotty Moore III (born December 27, 1931 near Gadsden, Tennessee) is a legendary American guitarist and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... William Bill Patton Black, Jr. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... Harbor Lights is a popular song. ... Harry Lillis Bing Crosby (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death in 1977. ... Gospel, from the Old English good tidings is a calque of Greek () used in the New Testament (see Etymology below). ... Thats All Right (Mama) is the name of the first song released by Elvis Presley. ... Blue Moon of Kentucky is a bluegrass song, written by Bill Monroe in 1947 and recorded by his band, The Blue Grass Boys. ...

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. Commenting on his own guitar playing, Scotty Moore said, "All I can tell you is I just stole from every guitar player I heard over the years. Put it in my data bank. An when I played that's just what come out." ^[10] But what really sets this recording apart is Elvis’s vocal, which soars across a wide range and expresses both a youthful humor and a boundless confidence. The overall feeling the song communicates is one of limitless freedom. ^[11] In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different though related playing techniques usually on the double bass and on the (electric) bass guitar. ...

Although some state that the sound of “That’s All Right” was entirely new, others are of the opinion that "It wasn't that they said 'I never heard anything like it before' It wasn't as if this started a revolution, it galvanized a revolution. Not because Elvis had expressed something new, but he expressed something they had all been trying to express." ^[12]

When "That's Alright" was played on Memphis radio, listeners called to ask about the song. Nevertheless, from August 18 1954 through December 8, 1954 "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was consistently charted at a higher position. [22] Nobody was sure what to call this music, so Elvis was described as “The Hilbilly Cat” and “King of Western Bop.” Over the next year, Elvis would record four more singles for Sun. Together, the upbeat numbers can be used as a touchstone for the rockabilly style: “nervously uptempo” (as Peter Guralnick describes it), with slap bass, fancy guitar picking, lots of echo, shouts of encouragement, and vocals full of histrionics such as hiccups, stutters, and swoops from falsetto to bass and back again.^[13][14] Peter Guralnick is a music critic and historian of American popular music. ...

By the end of 1954 Elvis asked D.J. Fontana, who was the underutilized drummer for the Louisiana Hayride, "Would you go with us if we got any more dates?" Presley was now using drums,^[15] as did many other rockabilly performers; drums were then uncommon in country music. Each of Presley's Sun singles combined a blues song on one side with a country song on the other, but both sung in the same vein.[23] In the 1955 sessions shortly after Presley’s move from Sun Records to RCA, Presley was backed by a band that included Moore, Black, Fontana, lap steel guitarist Jimmy Day, and pianist Floyd Cramer.[24] In 1956 Elvis acquired vocal backup via the Jordanaires. [25] The 1957 recording of Jailhouse Rock for the film of the same name clearly features piano and saxophone. Dominic Joseph Fontana (born March 15, 1931 in Shreveport, Louisiana) is an American musician best known as the drummer for Elvis Presley. ... The Louisiana Hayride was a radio broadcast from the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped launch the careers of the some of the greatest names in American music. ... Floyd Cramer (October 27, 1933 - December 31, 1997) was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the Nashville Sound. ... Jailhouse Rock is a song written by Leiber and Stoller that first became a hit for the American singer Elvis Presley. ... Jailhouse Rock is an American motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe, released by MGM on November 8, 1957. ...

Cash, Perkins, and Presley

In 1954, both Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins auditioned for Sam Phillips. Cash hoped to record gospel music, but Phillips immediately nixed that idea. Cash did not return until 1955. In October of 1955 Carl Perkins and “The Perkins Brothers Band” showed up at the Sun Studios. Phillips recorded Perkins’ original song “Movie Magg”, which was released early March of 1955 on Phillip's Flip label, which was all Country.[26]

Presley’s second and third records were not as successful as the first. ^[16] The fourth release in May 1955 “Baby, Let’s Play House” peaked at #5 on the national Billboard Country Chart. [27] The Sun label lists “Gunter” (Arthur) as the song writer, [28], a song which he recorded it in 1954. However, in 1951 Eddy Arnold recorded a song titled “I Want to Play House with You” [29] by Cy Coben. [30] Lyrics for the two songs are nearly identical.

Cash returned to Sun in 1955 with his song “Hey Porter”, and his group the Tennessee Three, who became the Tennessee Two before the session was over. This song and another Cash original, “Cry! Cry! Cry!” were released in July. [31] "Cry, Cry, Cry" managed to crack Billboard's Top 20, peaking at No. 14. [32]

In August Sun released Elvis’ versions of “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” and "Mystery Train". “Forgot...”, written by Sun country artists Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers, spent a total of 39 weeks on the Billboard Country Chart, with five of the those weeks at the #1 spot. “Mystery Train”, with writing credits for both Herman 'Little Junior' Parker and Sam Phillips, peaked at #11. Mystery Train was a 1955 single recorded at SUN studios in Memphis by Elvis Presley, his first Number 1 single, reaching #1 in the Country music chart. ...

Through most of 1955, Cash, Perkins, Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride performers toured through Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Sun released two more Perkins songs in October: “Gone, Gone, Gone” and “Let the Jukebox Keep on Playing”. [33]

1955 was also the year in which Chuck Berry’s hillbilly influenced Maybellene reached high in the charts as a crossover hit, and Bill Haley and His Comets’ Rock Around the Clock was not only #1 for 8 weeks, but was the #2 record for the year.[34] Rock ‘n’ roll in general, and rockabilly in particular, was at critical mass. Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born 18 October 1926, St. ... Maybellene is a song by Chuck Berry that tells the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Rock Around the Clock is a rock n roll song from 1952, written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter under the pseudonym Jimmy De Knight). Although first recorded by Sonny Dae & the Knights, the more famous version by Bill Haley & His Comets is not, strictly speaking... Critical mass is a sociodynamic term to describe the existence of sufficient momentum in a social system such that the momentum becomes self-sustaining and fuels further growth. ...

Recording Techniques

Slapback, slapback echo, flutter echo, tape delay echo, echo, and reverb are some of the terms used to describe one particular aspect of rockabilly recordings.

The distinctive reverberation on the early hit records such as "Rock Around The Clock." (April 12, 1954 released May 15) by Bill Haley & His Comets was created by recording the band under the domed ceiling of Decca's studio in New York, located in a former ballroom called The Pythian Temple. It was a big, barn-like building with great echo. This same facility would also be used to record other rockabilly musicians such as Buddy Holly and The Rock and Roll Trio. [35] [36] For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... The Rock and Roll Trio was the name of a rockabilly group, which was formed in Memphis Tennessee during the 1950’s. ...

In Memphis Sam Phillips used various techniques to create similar acoustics at his Memphis Recording Services Studio. The shape of the ceiling, corrugated tiles, and the setup of the studio were augmented by and ingenious and entirely original system of “slap-back” tape echo which involved feeding the original signal from one tape machine through a second machine with an infinitesimal (capable of having values approaching zero as a limit) delay. The recordings were thus an idealized representation of the customary live sound . ^[17] Sam Phillips, born Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – June 30, 2003), was a record producer who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s. ... Infinitesimals have been used to express the idea of objects so small that there is no way to see them or to measure them. ...

When Elvis Presley left Phillip’s Sun Records and recorded Heartbreak Hotel for RCA, the RCA producers placed microphones at the end of a hallway to achieve a similar effect. For the Whitney Houston song, see Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston song). ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ...

In January 1956 three now classic songs by Cash, Perkins, and Presley were released: Folsom Prison Blues by Cash, and Blue Suede Shoes by Perkins, both on Sun, and Heartbreak Hotel by Presley on RCA. Other rockabilly tunes released this month included See You Later Alligator by Roy Hall and Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On by the Commodores. [37][38][39] On February 11 Presley appeared on the Dorsey Brothers’ Stage Show for the third time singing both “Heartbreak Hotel” and Carl Pekins’ “Blue Suede Shoes”. Elvis would perform “Blue Suede Shoes” two more times on national television, and “Heartbreak Hotel” three times throughout 1956. Folsom Prison Blues is an American country music song written by Johnny Cash in the early 1950s and originally recorded with his trio in 1956 for the Sun Records label. ... Blue Suede Shoes is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. ... For the Whitney Houston song, see Heartbreak Hotel (Whitney Houston song). ... See You Later, Alligator (though more commonly spelled without the comma in the title) is the title of an iconic rock and roll song of the 1950s. ... Roy Hall (born December 8, 1983 in South Euclid, Ohio) is a former American football wide receiver at Ohio State University. ... Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On is a song, written in 1957 by Dave Williams & Sunny David. ...

Sun and RCA weren’t the only record companies releasing rockabilly music. In March Columbia released "Honky Tonk Man" by Johnny Horton, [40], King put out "Seven Nights to Rock" by Moon Mullican, Mercury issued "Rockin’ Daddy" by Eddie Bond, [41] and Starday released Bill Mack's “Fat Woman”. [42] Carl Perkins, meanwhile, was involved in a major automobile accident on his way to appear on national television.

Two young men from Texas made their record debuts in April of 1956: Buddy Holly on 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.[43]Janis Martin was all of fifteen years old when RCA issued a record with “Will You, Willyum” and the Martin composed “DrugStore Rock and Roll”, which sold over 750,000 copies.[44] King records issued a new disk by forty-seven year old Moon Mulican: “Seven Nights to Rock” and “Rock And 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. [45] For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed The Big O, was an influential Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. ... Janis Martin (March 27, 1940 – September 3, 2007) was an American rockabilly and country music singer. ...

In April and May, 1956, the Rock N Roll Trio brought down the house with three electrifying rockabilly performances on the Ted Mack’s TV talent show in New York City, winning all three times and guaranteeing them a finalist position in the September supershow. [46] Ted Mack (1904–1976) [born William Edward Maguiness] was an American television host, best remembered for Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour. ... The Original Amateur Hour was an American television program from the mediums early days. ...

Important Performers

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can (March 2007).

There were thousands of musicians who recorded songs in the rockabilly style. An on line database lists 262 musicians with names beginning with "A".[47] And many record companies released rockabilly records. [48] Some enjoyed major chart success and were important influences on future rock musicians. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ...

• Jerry Lee Lewis—“The Killer,” as he was known, sold all the eggs on his daddy’s farm in Ferriday, Louisiana to afford to travel to Memphis and audition for Sun. Jerry Lee had a piano sound like no one else and a stage presence somewhere between an explosion and a riot. He attacked the piano with his feet, threw the piano stool across the stage, charged at the audience with the mike in his hand to astonish his listeners. There is a general myth that he once set his piano on fire in order to intimidate Chuck Berry. However, he and others have denied this ever happened. His musical approach was similarly anarchic and exciting. Jerry Lee would enjoy four million-selling records in a row on Sun, before the news broke that he had married his 13-year-old cousin. America’s conservative establishment was horrified and the Killer was quickly blacklisted. His records disappeared from the charts and he struggled in obscurity for a decade.

• Buddy Holly—From Lubbock, Texas, Holly made several records for Decca’s Nashville division before finding success recording for Decca’s Coral and Brunswick subsidiaries in New Mexico with Norman Petty. Holly was a gifted songwriter and guitarist, as well as a unique vocalist. Most of his big hits, including “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue,” were his own compositions. Holly’s band, the Crickets, were first-rate and quite influential themselves. Holly died in a plane crash in 1959, but his recordings remained popular, especially in England, and would inspire many later artists.^[18]
• Gene Vincent Vincent and his band, the Blue Caps, were extremely talented and contributed to the great power of his rockabilly recordings. Although his sales declined in the USA after his initial million-seller “Be-Bop-A-Lula”/ “Woman Love,” he remained very popular in Europe and helped inspire the next generation of musicians there. Vincent died of a ruptured ulcer in 1971.^[19]
• Eddie Cochran—Humorously captured the details of teen life in his songs, much like Chuck Berry. Cochran was a gifted guitarist and songwriter, best known for hits like “Summertime Blues,” “C’mon Everybody,” “Sittin’ in the Balcony,” and “Something Else.” His slow songs generally showed a light touch and his rockers were exciting. He toured England to great success with Gene Vincent in 1960, but died in a car crash on his way to the airport to return to the USA.^[20]
• Rick Nelson—Although Rick Nelson’s career was launched on his parents’ TV show, his recordings show a very real talent and enthusiasm for rockabilly music. He had dozens of hits during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including “Hello Mary Lou,” “Lonesome Town,” “Travelin’ Man,” and “Poor Little Fool.” On these records, Nelson worked with major rockabilly musicians, such as Johnny Burnette and James Burton. He had only two hits after 1964 and spent the last two decades of his career struggling for audience acceptance, as he was unwilling to become just a nostalgia act. Nelson died in a plane crash in 1985.^[21]

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, Janis Martin, Jo Ann Campbell, and Alys Lesley, who also sang in the rockabilly style. Tommy (Sleepy) LaBeef (LaBeff) recorded rockabilly tunes on a number of labels from 1957 through 1963.[49] Rockabilly pioneers the Maddox Brothers and Rose, both as a group, and with Rose as a solo act, added onto their two decades of performing by making records that were even more rocking. [50][51] However, none of these artists had any major hits and their influence would not be felt until decades later, when artists like Becky Hobbs, Rosie Flores, and Kim Lenz would join the Rockabilly Revival.^[22] Image File history File links JerryLeeLewisBookcover. ... Image File history File links JerryLeeLewisBookcover. ... Jerry Lee Lewis (born September 29, 1935), also known by the nickname The Killer, is an American rock and roll and country music singer, songwriter, and pianist. ... Ferriday is a town located in Concordia Parish, Louisiana. ... For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... Music sample listen to a clip from Buddy Hollys Thatll Be the Day Problems? See media help. ... Peggy Sue is a rock and roll song written by Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, and Norman Petty, and originally performed, recorded and released as a single by Buddy Holly and the Crickets in early July of 1957. ... The Crickets The Crickets were the backing band from Texas in the United States, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. ... Monument at Crash Site, September 16, 2003. ... Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rocknroll pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. // His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Gene Vincent, real name Eugene Vincent Craddock (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rockabilly musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. He started playing in various country bands in Norfolk, Virginia after leaving the Navy with a permanent leg injury. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Ray Edward Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American Rock and Roll musician and an important influence on popular music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born 18 October 1926, St. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Eric Hilliard Ricky Nelson, alternately Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 - December 31, 1985), was one of the first American teen idols. ... Hello Mary Lou is a song written by American singer Gene Pitney, and performed by Ricky Nelson in 1961. ... Poor Little Fool is a popular song. ... James Burton (born August 21, 1939 in Minden, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. ... Billy Lee Riley was born on October 5, 1933 in Pocahontas, Arkansas, USA. He is a legendary Rockabilly-musician, who worked at Sun Records and who was rediscovered by Bob Dylan in 1992. ... Albert Sonny Burgess is a guitarist and singer of rockabilly, present at its inception and still performing today. ... Charlie Feathers, (June 12, 1932 - August 29, 1998), was an influential rockabilly and country music performer. ... Warren Smith (February 7, 1932 - January 31, 1980) was a pioneer singer and guitar player of American Rockabilly music born in Humphreys County, Mississippi. ... Wanda Jackson (born Wanda Jean Jackson, on October 20, 1937, in Maud, Oklahoma) was the first female rock and roll singer in the United States, releasing her debut record in 1956. ... Im Nobodys Baby, 1959 Jo Ann Campbell (born July 20, 1938 in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American pop singer. ... The Maddox Brothers and Rose was a country music band which was based in California from the 1930s to the 1950s. ... Country music artist of Mexican American heritage. ...

Rockabilly music enjoyed great popularity in the United States during 1956 and 1957, but it was pretty much shunted off the radio after 1960. Factors contributing to this decline are usually cited as: The 1959 Death of Buddy Holly {along with Richie Valens and 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.

Cultural Implications

Stylistically, the development of rock ‘n’ roll music was inevitable. However, the huge cultural impact of the music was anything but inevitable. This impact was due to rockabilly’s first and most important performer, Elvis Presley, who combined the musical excitement and rebellion of Hank Williams with the adolescent charisma of James Dean. Presley’s good looks, scandalously sexy concerts, and innovative music would make him the hero of an emerging demographic group: teenagers. As a result, his music and that of his successors would become the central unifying feature of youth culture during the second half of the 20th century. For the film, see James Dean (film). ...

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 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.^[23][24]

Influence on the Beatles and the British Invasion

The first wave of rockabilly fans in Britain were called Teddy Boys because they wore long, Edwardian-style frock coats, along with tight black drainpipe trousers and brothel creeper shoes. By the early 1960s, they had metamorphosed into the rockers, and 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 the music. The Teddy boy youth culture first emerged in Britain (starting in London, but rapidly spreading across the country) during the early 1950s, and soon after became strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. ... The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period 1901 to 1910, the reign of King Edward VII. It succeeded the Victorian period and is sometimes extended to include the period up to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, the start of World War... Formal black frock coat with silk-faced lapels, light grey waistcoat, striped trousers, button boots, gloves, ascot-knotted cravate, and necktie pin; April 1904. ... Germanic trousers of the 4th century found in the Thorsberg moor, Germany Early use of trousers in France: a sans-culotte by Louis-Léopold Boilly. ... In 2003 Osiris Shoes produced Ali Boulala Brothel creeper skateboarding trainers Creepers or brothel creepers are a type of shoe that gained popularity in the 1950s with the rise of rockabilly and the teddy boy youth culture in the United States and the United Kingdom. ... The definitive Wild One. ... For other uses of the term, see Greaser This article does not cite any references or sources. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... Rocker jackets. ... Pompadour is a style of haircut which takes its name from Madame de Pompadour. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rocknroll pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. // His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. ...

"Elvis McCartney", drawing by Klaus Voormann for the album "Run Devil Run".

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 Crickets) and they adopted the black leather look of Gene Vincent. Musically, they combined Holly’s melodic pop sensibility with the rough and rocking sounds 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. Image File history File links Elvismccartney. ... Image File history File links Elvismccartney. ... Klaus Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer who was associated with the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg and later designed the cover of their album Revolver. ... Run Devil Run is an album of mostly obscure 1950s rock and roll songs recorded and released by Paul McCartney in 1999. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an Academy Award-winning English singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who first gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles. ... Ray Edward Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American Rock and Roll musician and an important influence on popular music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Twenty Flight Rock is the name of a song originally performed and released in 1957 by Eddie Cochran, who co-wrote it with Ned Fairchild. ... For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... The Crickets The Crickets were the backing band from Texas in the United States, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. ... Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rocknroll pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. // His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country music that was recorded most notably at Sun Records in Memphis beginning in 1954. ...

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 a duet with Carl Perkins, and George Harrison played with Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys. In 1999, McCartney released Run Devil Run; his own record of rockabilly covers.^[25] Richard Starkey Jr, MBE (born 7 July 1940), known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor, best known as the drummer for The Beatles. ... John Joseph Johnny Burnette (March 25, 1934–August 14, 1964) was a Rockabilly pioneer. ... For other persons named George Harrison, see George Harrison (disambiguation). ... Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988), nicknamed The Big O, was an influential Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter, guitarist and a pioneer of rock and roll whose recording career spanned more than four decades. ... The Traveling Wilburys were a supergroup consisting of George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan. ... Run Devil Run is an album of mostly obscure 1950s rock and roll songs recorded and released by Paul McCartney in 1999. ...

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. The Who, despite being mod favourites, covered Eddie Cochran’s "Summertime Blues" 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, Crazy Legs, and Page’s band, Led Zeppelin, offered to work as Elvis Presley’s backing band in the 1970s. However, Presley never took them up on that offer.^[26] Years later, Led Zeppelin's Page and Robert Plant recorded a tribute to the music of the 1950s called The Honeydrippers: Volume One. For other uses, see British Invasion (disambiguation). ... This article is about the rock band. ... Not Fade Away is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and performed by Holly; the songs rhythm pattern is one of the classic examples of the Bo Diddley beat. ... The Who are a British rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ray Edward Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American Rock and Roll musician and an important influence on popular music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Live at Leeds (1970) is The Whos first live album, and indeed is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing regularly. ... Geoffrey Arnold (Jeff) Beck (born June 24, 1944 to Arnold and Ethel Beck in Wallington, Greater London) is an English rock guitarist. ... James Patrick Jimmy Page, OBE (born 9 January 1944) is an English guitarist, composer and record producer. ... For the bands 1969 eponymous debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... “Elvis” redirects here. ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter, most famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, but also for his successful solo career. ... The Honeydrippers: Volume One is a mini-album released by a semi-all-star band led by rock singer Robert Plant on November 12, 1984 by Es Paranza Records. ...

Elvis’s Comeback and 1970s Nostalgia

By 1968, the British Invasion had largely chased the older American rock artists off the charts. Most of the 1950s rockabilly performers who were still alive, such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, had taken refuge in country music. And Elvis Presley was mired in an endless series of lousy movies, seemingly a has-been in his 30s.

In December 1968, Elvis appeared on an NBC-TV special. Clad in black leather, he sang his heart out, proving not only could he rock, but that he had far more emotional depth to share than he had 10 years earlier. The so-called “comeback special” created tremendous excitement among the record-buying public, and Elvis’s newer, harder-hitting songs soon began enjoying major chart success. Songs like “Suspicious Minds,” “Promised Land,” and “Burning Love” were all cut from Presley’s classic mold and they enjoyed huge international sales. The King returned to live performances, setting attendance records across the USA.^[27]

In the wake of Elvis’s return, a renewed interest developed in 1950s music. A young band from San Francisco, Creedence Clearwater Revival, became one of the best-selling rock groups of the era playing old rockabilly songs and new songs written in the same style. Don McLean had a giant hit with “American Pie,” a song about the death of Buddy Holly. Then, in 1973, George Lucas released his film American Graffiti. This movie, and its chart-topping oldies soundtrack, launched a major 1970s industry of '50s nostalgia. Soon TV had its own version of Graffiti in Happy Days. Artists like Sha Na Na gained fame playing 1950s rock as a cartoon joke and many original artists began playing “oldies” shows. Linda Ronstadt enjoyed a major string of hit singles with soft-rock covers of songs by Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and the Everly Brothers. Although none of these captured the fire and excitement of 1950s rockabilly, they did create curiosity about the real music of that era.^[28] Creedence Clearwater Revival (commonly referred to by its initials CCR or simply as Creedence) was an American rock band, which consisted of John Fogerty (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano), Tom Fogerty (guitar, vocals, piano), Stu Cook (bass guitar, vocals), and Doug Clifford (drums, percussion, vocals). ... For other people with similar names see Don MacLean. ... George Walton Lucas, Jr. ... American Graffiti is a 1973 film directed by George Lucas. ... For other uses, see Happy Days (disambiguation). ... Sha Na Na Sha Na Na is a rock and roll/comedy group from New York City, who perform covers of doo wop hits from the 1950s, simultaneously reviving and sending up the music, as well as 1950s New York street culture, in their performances. ... Linda Marie Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946 in Tucson, Arizona) is a popular vocalist with multiple Grammy Awards, numerous multi-platinum albums, an Emmy Award, a Tony Award nomination who has recorded over 30 studio albums and has made guest appearances on over 100 other albums. ... Don (born February 1, 1937 in Brownie, a small coal-mining town (now defunct) near Central City, Muhlenberg County, Kentucky) and Phil Everly (born January 18, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois) are country-influenced rock and roll performers who had their greatest success in the 1950s. ...

Elvis’s death in 1977 inspired an unprecedented outpouring of news coverage, radio tributes, books, and documentaries. Presley’s records were all over the radio for months, and efforts to document the early history of rock ’n’ roll began to reach a mass audience. Although there was an unfortunate explosion in the number of cheesy Elvis impersonator stage acts, over time all of the hoopla drew attention to the original music, too.

Two films released in the late 1970s really did capture the excitement of the music, even though they confused several facts. The Buddy Holly Story was a biopic starring the magnetic Gary Busey, who seemed possessed by Holly’s spirit, even though nearly all of Holly’s friends and relatives denounced the screenplay’s cavalier way with the truth. American Hot Wax, a film bio of DJ Alan Freed, was even more creative with the details of history, but concluded with a barn-burning concert sequence featuring Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, proving they still had all the moxie and charisma that made them rock gods in the '50s. This was exciting, but was just the prelude to even bigger things. The Buddy Holly Story is a 1978 biographical film which tells the life story of rock musician Buddy Holly. ... William Gary Busey (born 29 June 1944) is an Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-nominated American film and stage actor. ... American Hot Wax is a 1978 biopic film telling the story of disc jockey Alan Freed who was instrumental in introducing and popularizing rock n roll in the 1950s. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born 18 October 1926, St. ...

Rockabilly Revival

Many young listeners were dissatisfied with the “light rock” and bloated “art rock” music on the radio in the 1970s. They wanted to return to the simple, loud, fast, emotionally-direct music rock had started with. Some musicians stripped their sound down to the bare basics of three chords, loud guitars, and emotional lyrics, creating punk rock. Others turned back to the original music of the 1950s for inspiration. Starting slowly in the mid to late Seventies, an underground rockabilly revival began to take shape. By the early 1980s, it broke through to enjoy some mainstream chart success and inspire a new generation of fanatics. The most important of these artists were: Soft rock, also referred to as lite rock, easy rock, and formally Mellow rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work. ... Art rock is a term used by some to describe rock music that is characterized by ambitious or avant-garde lyrical themes and/or melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic experimentation, often extending beyond standard modern popular music forms and genres, toward influences in jazz, classical, world music or the experimental avant... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... A three-chord song is a song whose music is built around three chords that are played in a certain sequence. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ...

• Robert Gordon—Formerly vocalist for pioneering New York punks the Tuff Darts, Gordon went solo and began performing old rockabilly songs in 1977. Unlike Sha Na Na or the Elvis impersonators, Gordon was not presenting the music as a joke, but trying to recapture the wild energy and excitement of the 1950s performers. He teamed with legendary guitarist Link Wray and recorded an album that year, spawning a minor hit single with a cover of Billy Lee Riley’s “Red Hot.” Four more albums followed by 1981 (first on independent Private Stock, then on major label RCA), with another minor pop hit and two low-level country chart hits. Gordon toured tirelessly around the country and his dedication and energy inspired many listeners and musicians to begin to explore rockabilly music.^[29]
• Dave Edmunds and Rockpile—Edmunds had enjoyed an out-of-left-field chart hit in 1970 with his dour but rocking version of Smiley Lewis’s “I Hear You Knocking.” During the early Seventies, he worked in the studio, trying to recreate the Sun Records sound on new songs. In 1975, he joined up with songwriter Nick Lowe to form a band called Rockpile and created a string of minor rockabilly style hits like “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ‘n’ Roll).” The group became a popular touring act in Britain and the US, leading to respectable album sales. Edmunds also nurtured and produced many younger artists who shared his love of rockabilly and Chuck Berry, most notably the Stray Cats^[30]
• 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, initiating an amazing string of hits. His hopped-up versions of numbers like “This Ole House” and “Green Door” were giant sellers across Europe and he toured constantly selling out large auditoriums across the continent. By the time his streak wound down a decade later, Shakin’ Stevens was the number two bestselling singles artist of the 1980s in Europe, outstripping Michael Jackson, Prince, and Bruce Springsteen. Despite his huge popularity in Europe, he has never been able to catch on in America. In recent years, he returned to public attention in the UK, with a greatest hits album topping the charts in 2005.^[31]

• The Cramps—Rising out of the punk scene at the New York club CBGB, the Cramps combined the most primitive and wild rockabilly sounds with lyrics inspired by old drive-in horror movies in songs like “Human Fly” and “I Was a Teenage Werewolf.” Lead singer Lux Interior is one of the most unrestrained performers in rock music and the band’s live shows are outstandingly energetic and unpredictable, even for a rockabilly band, which has attracted a fervent cult audience. Their so-called “psychobilly” music has provoked a number of followers, including The Meteors and Reverend Horton Heat.^[32]

The Stray Cats in Concert

• Stray Cats—Easily the most commercially successful of the new rockabilly artists, the Stray Cats formed on Long Island in 1979 when Brian Setzer teamed up with two school chums calling themselves Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom. The trio fully adopted the Gene Vincent look, complete with flashy pompadour haircuts, leather jackets, and tattoos aplenty. Attracting little attention in New York, they flew to London in 1980, seeking the supposedly active rockabilly scene there. Although the Cats found rockabilly action to be less than reported in the UK, they soon inspired a very active scene to appear. Early shows were attended by the Rolling Stones and Dave Edmunds, who quickly ushered the boys into a recording studio. In short order, the Stray Cats had three UK Top Ten singles to their credit and two bestselling albums. They returned to the USA, 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 the charts stateside. Their third LP, Rant ‘N’ Rave with the Stray Cats, topped charts across the USA 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 Eighties success.^[33]
• The Blasters—were centered around brothers Phil (who sang and played harmonica and guitar) and Dave Alvin (who played lead guitar and wrote songs). The brothers and their musical friends had grown up in a country town called Downey, outside Los Angeles, and had spent their teens playing with such legendary R&B musicians as Big Joe Turner, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed’s former bandleader Marcus Johnson, and Lee Allen, the sax player on the hits of Fats Domino and Little Richard. Having learned American roots music from the masters, the band began playing around LA in the late 1970s, attracting a following for their combination of classic styles, punk energy, and Dave Alvin’s powerful songs. Several albums on the Warner Brothers-distributed label Slash and appearances in movies failed to land a chart hit, although sales were respectable and the band captured a strong cult following among fans and critics, even inspiring fan John Cougar Mellencamp to write and produce a single for the band. In the late 1980s, Dave Alvin left the band to begin a successful solo career and Phil went back to UCLA to get his doctorate in Mathematics. Today Phil tours with a new Blasters lineup and the original members occasionally gather for performances.^[34]

Cover of Fervor by Jason & The Scorchers.

• Jason & The Scorchers—Put heavy metal, Chuck Berry, and Hank Williams into a punk-powered blender, creating a truly modern style of rockabilly. Although many would slap them with another label, such as alt-country or cowpunk, Jason and the Scorchers did what Elvis and the others had done in the Fifties: they combined the rockingest current urban sounds with the most backwoods country to create a new sound that had more edge than either of its sources. Although they were critic’s darlings and drew a rabid fan base from coast to coast, the Scorchers never managed to have that big hit record their label demanded and now their works are nearly all out of print, although they periodically reappear for another rip-roaring tour.^[35]

Many other bands were associated with the rockabilly bandwagon in the early 1980s, including the Rockats, Danny Dean and the Homewreckers, The Polecats, Zantees, The Kingbees, Leroi Brothers, The Nervous Fellas, Lone Justice, and Chris Isaak. Robert Gordon (born March 29, 1947) is an American rockabilly singer. ... Tuff Darts is an American Punk Rock Band. ... Sha Na Na Sha Na Na is a rock and roll/comedy group from New York City, who perform covers of doo wop hits from the 1950s, simultaneously reviving and sending up the music, as well as 1950s New York street culture, in their performances. ... Elvis Impersonators An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies Elvis Presley either as a hobby, career in entertainment or occasionally for fun. ... Link Wray and His Ray Mens The Swan Singles Collection 1963-1967 Fred Lincoln Link Wray Jr (May 2, 1929 – November 5, 2005) was an American rock and roll guitar player most noted for pioneering a new sound for electric guitars in his hit 1958 instrumental Rumble, by Link... Billy Lee Riley was born on October 5, 1933 in Pocahontas, Arkansas, USA. He is a legendary Rockabilly-musician, who worked at Sun Records and who was rediscovered by Bob Dylan in 1992. ... Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was outted from Bell Records. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from Cardiff, Wales. ... Rockpile was a British rock group noted for strong rockabilly and power pop influences. ... Smiley Lewis (July 5, 1913 – October 7, 1966) was a Rhythm and blues musician. ... I Hear You Knocking is a popular rhythm and blues song with emphatic syncopation, written by Dave Bartholomew and Pearl King and published in 1955. ... Bowi EP sleeve (1977). ... Shakin Stevens also known as Shaky (born Michael Barratt, 4 March 1948, in Ely, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales) is a Welsh rock and roll singer, who has the distinction of being the top selling male UK singles artist of the 1980s. ... The Blasters are a rock music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. ... This Ole House is a popular song. ... (The) Green Door is a popular song. ... Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958), commonly known as MJ as well as the King of Pop, is an American musician, entertainer, and pop icon whose successful career and controversial personal life have been a part of pop culture for the last three decades. ... For another person sometimes known as The Artist, see Michael Haynes III. Prince Rogers Nelson (born June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American funk musician. ... Springsteen redirects here. ... The Cramps are a punk rock band originally formed in 1972. ... CBGB (Country, Blue Grass, and Blues) was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. ... The Cramps are a band whose only permanent members have been Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser) and Poison Ivy (Kristy Wallace), the lead singer and lead guitarist respectively. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... ... The Reverend Horton Heat: Scott Churilla (left), Jim Reverend Horton Heath (center), Jimbo Wallace (right) The Reverend Horton Heat is both three-piece psychobilly / rockabilly band from Dallas, Texas and the stage name of its singer/songwriter, Jim Heath (born in 1959 in Corpus Christi, Texas). ... Image File history File links Stray_cats_-_live_in_gijon. ... Image File history File links Stray_cats_-_live_in_gijon. ... Stray Cats was formed by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer in the Long Island town of Massapequa, NY, in 1979. ... The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. ... Brian Setzer (born April 10, 1959 in Massapequa, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... Lee Rocker Lee Rocker (born August 3, 1961 in Long Island, New York) is a rockabilly double bass player. ... Slim Jim Phantom, birth name James McDonnell, was born on March 20, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York. ... Gene Vincent, real name Vincent Eugene Craddock, (February 11, 1935 - October 12, 1971) was an American rocknroll pioneer musician, best known for his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula. // His parents, Ezekiah Jackson and Mary Louise Craddock, were shop owners in Norfolk, Virginia. ... Rolling Stones redirects here. ... Fridays was the name of ABCs weekly late-night live comedy show, which aired on Friday nights from 1980 to 1982. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... The Blasters are a rock music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. ... Dave Alvin (born November 11, 1955, in Downey, California, USA) is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... Location of Downey in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Founded 1800s Incorporated 1956 Government  - Type Council-Manager government  - City Council David R. Gafin Mario A. Guerra Rick Trejo (Mayor) Anne Marie Bayer Kirk Cartozian Area  - City  12. ... Big Joe Turner (born Joseph Vernon Turner Jr. ... Willie Dixons style of blues was one of the inspirations for a new generation of music, rock and roll. ... Jimmy Reed James Jimmy Mathis Reed (September 6, 1925 - August 29, 1976) was an important United States blues singer notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. ... Lee Allen (1926 - 1994) was a tenor saxophone player. ... Antoine Dominique Fats Domino (born February 26, 1928) is a classic R&B and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist. ... Richard Wayne Penniman (born December 5, 1932), better known by the stage name Little Richard, is an African-American singer, songwriter, and pianist, who began performing in the 1940s and was a key figure in the transition from rhythm & blues to rock and roll in the mid-1950s. ... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: Article doesnt appear to meet notability according to WP:NOTFILM and makes no assertions that it does. ... John Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951 in Seymour, Indiana) is an American singer and songwriter, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including Jack and Diane, and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event. ... Image File history File links Jason-scorchers-fervor. ... Image File history File links Jason-scorchers-fervor. ... Look up fervor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Jason & The Scorchers were an Alt country band led by Jason Ringenberg whose sound combined punk with country music. ... Jason & The Scorchers were an Alt country band led by Jason Ringenberg whose sound combined punk with country music. ... Heavy metal redirects here. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born 18 October 1926, St. ... For other persons named Hank Williams, see Hank Williams (disambiguation). ... Alternative country can refer to several ideas. ... Cowpunk or Country Punk is a subgenre of punk rock that began in southern California in the 1980s, especially Los Angeles. ... The Polecats were a new wave and rockabilly revival band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. ... The Kingbees, also known as The King Bees, was a short-lived New York City-based rhythm and blues musical group of the 1960s. ... One of Canadas premier Rockabilly bands, The Nervous Fellas began in Vancouver around the winter of 1986. ... Guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee, half-sister of Loves Bryan MacLean, formed Lone Justice in 1982. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Closely related was the “Roots Rock” movement which continued through the Eighties, led by artists like James Intveld, who later toured as lead guitar for The Blasters, the Beat Farmers, Del-Lords, Long Ryders, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Los Lobos, The Fleshtones, Del Fuegos, and Barrence Whitfield and 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 MTV technopop and glam metal bands that dominated radio play during this time period, but none of these musicians became major stars.^[36] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... ]]Los Angeles Rockabilly Pioneer, Actor, Composer, Director. ... The Blasters are a rock music group formed in 1979 in Downey, California by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman. ... The Beat Farmers were an alternative rock, country-rock, and hard rock band who formed in San Diego, CA in August 1983, and enjoyed a cult following throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before the premature death of lead singer and drummer Country Dick Montana. ... The Fabulous Thunderbirds are a blues-rock band, formed in 1974 (see 1974 in music). ... Los Lobos is an American rock band, heavily influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as boleros and norteños. ... Roman Gods (1982) Beachhead (2005) The Fleshtones are a U.S. rock & roll band that blends Garage Rock and R&B. They are famous for their high-energy live shows and dedicated celebration of party music. ... The Del Fuegos were a moderately successful garage-style pop band in the 1980s with lead singer Dan Zanes, guitarist Warren Zanes (his brother), bassist Tom Lloyd, and drummer Woody Gleissman. ... Technopop, Inc. ... Glam metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that arose in the late 1970s - early 1980s in the United States. ...

Also related, but much more successful, were the artists who rose to fame in the wake of Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen first achieved pop chart success with “Born to Run” in 1975 and had always been strongly influenced by earlier styles, notably rockabilly, Sixties girl groups and garage bands, and soul music. (In fact, Springsteen originally wrote his song "Fire"" for Robert Gordon, although the Pointer Sisters version sold more copies than Gordon's.) Although he was a hugely popular performer throughout the 1970s, his 1984 LP Born in the USA brought him overwhelming success. Not only did the supporting tour set attendance records, but Springsteen’s songs became ubiquitous on radio and MTV. The album spawned a slew of hit singles and several other veteran performers with similar roots-oriented sounds and socially-conscious lyrics enjoyed renewed popularity during the mid 1980s: Bob Seger, John Cougar Mellencamp, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s former leader John Fogerty, who scored a chart-topping triumph with his solo album Centerfield in 1985.^[37] Springsteen redirects here. ... Born to Run is a rock album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released in 1975 (see 1975 in music). ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... The Pointer Sisters are an American Grammy Award-winning Pop/R&B recording act from Oakland, California that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. ... Robert Clark Seger (born May 5, 1945) is a Rock and Roll singer, songwriter, and musician from Michigan. ... John Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951 in Seymour, Indiana) is an American singer and songwriter, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including Jack and Diane, and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Creedence Clearwater Revival (commonly referred to by its initials CCR or simply as Creedence) was an American rock band, which consisted of John Fogerty (vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano), Tom Fogerty (guitar, vocals, piano), Stu Cook (bass guitar, vocals), and Doug Clifford (drums, percussion, vocals). ... This article is about the musician. ... Centerfield is an album by musician John Fogerty, released in 1985. ...

In 1983, legendary country rock singer Neil Young recorded 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 didn't sound "like a Neil Young record." Young made no further albums in the rockabilly style.^[38] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the musician. ... Everybodys Rockin is a 1983 album by Neil Young. ... Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMGs Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group. ...

Hank Williams, Jr

Finally, 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 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. Another artist, Dwight Yoakam, rose to success in Nashville after attracting a large following among punk and rockabilly fans in his native Los Angeles. His first album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. became a surprise hit, despite being considered “too country” by Nashville insiders. In 1989, Yoakum would record a hit version of the Blasters’ “Long White Cadillac.”^[39] Image File history File linksMetadata Hank_Williams,_Jr. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Hank_Williams,_Jr. ... Hank Williams, Jr. ... Marty Stuart (born John Marty Stuart September 30, 1958 in Philadelphia, Mississippi) is an American country music singer, known for both his traditional style, and eclectic merging of rockabilly, honky tonk, and traditional country music. ... The tone or style of this article may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Steve Earle (born Stephen Fain Earle January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, well known for his rock and country music, as well as for his political views. ... The Kentucky Headhunters are an influential country rock group whose early albums were embraced by both country and rock fans, and maintain a cult following among alt-country fans to this day. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. ...

Although these styles of music were overshadowed after 1990 by the rise of grunge and rap, they left behind a sizable cult audience that continued to support rockabilly and roots-influenced performers through the 1990s and into the present. Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ...

Rockabilly in the 2000s

Rockabilly has joined the ranks of established musical subcultures in the United States. As with other established music genres such as jazz, blues, bluegrass, and punk rock, rockabilly musicians are able to earn a steady but limited living, supported by fanzines, websites, annual festivals, and specialist venues and record labels. Although no other rockabilly performers have risen to the level of mass popularity enjoyed by the Stray Cats in the 1980s, the scene has been grown in the 2000s. There has been a significant overlap with, and interaction between, the current rockabilly scene and swing revival; with Brian Setzer (of the Stray Cats and The Brian Setzer Orchestra) being a key figure. Other artists, such as Trick Pony, Danny Dean and the Homewreckers(a country music trio influenced by both rockabilly and honky-tonk styles), Rattled Roosters, and Royal Crown Revue have also found popularity among both camps.^[40] For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Blues music redirects here. ... Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. ... The Swing Revival was cultural phenomenon of the 1990s and early 2000s which featured renewed popular interest in music in the style of the swing period of the 1930s and 1940s. ... Brian Setzer (born April 10, 1959 in Massapequa, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... The Brian Setzer Orchestra is a swing band formed in 1990 by Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer. ... Trick Pony in concert Trick Pony is a trio of country music performers, consisting of guitarist/singer Keith Burns, bassist/singer Ira Dean, and singer/guitarist/harmonica player Heidi Newfield. ... country music, see Country music (disambiguation) Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States. ... // Rattled Roosters Rockabilly band from Vancouver, Canada moved to Los Angeles, California. ... The Royal Crown Revue is a band formed in the early 1990s. ...

There are active rockabilly scenes in many US cities, particularly on the west coast; as well as major festivals such as Viva Las Vegas and Hootenanny and the Heavy Rebel Weekend festival on the east coast. Rockabilly fans have made common cause with hot rodders, and many festivals feature both music and cars with a 1950s flavor. With the growth of satellite and internet radio, there are regular broadcast outlets for rockabilly music. The not-for-profit Rockabilly Hall of Fame was created March 21,1997 to remember the early rockabilly music and to promote those who want to continue rockabilly music popularity and accessibility into the future. In Europe, rockabilly remains a vibrant and active subculture, with strong interest not only in current revivalist musicians, but also in performances and recordings by surviving artists from the 1950s. Along with the revival of 1950s-style rockabilly music, several rockabilly disc jockeys have arisen around the world. A big reason for it being borne out during these periods are due to a dissatisfaction for the mainstream cultural music and stylistic icons.Rockabilly becoming a way of life/lifestyle and brotherhood to those involved,not confined to just the music but also the home furnishings,cars,even small things like the cigarettes smoked.An antithesis to current trends encompassing its roots in "old school" societal fringes (50's movies "The Wild One", James Dean's "Rebel Without A Cause", etc.) concentrated in countries like USA, UK, Australia, Europe and New Zealand. Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... East Coast can refer to: East Coast of the United States East Coast hip hop East Coast Park East-coast liberal East Coast Railway East Coast Akalat East Coast bias East Coast Music Awards East Coast Bays East Coast Main Line East Coast Greenway East Coast Parkway East Coast Swing... T-Bucket hot rod Hot rods are older, often historical, cars. ... The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on March 21, 1997 to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a set of people with a set of behaviors and beliefs, culture, which could be distinct or hidden, that differentiate them from the larger culture to which they belong. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... The Wild One is a 1953 outlaw biker film. ... For the film, see James Dean (film). ... Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 film directed by Nicholas Ray that tells the story of a rebellious teenager who comes to a new town, meets a girl, defies his parents, and faces the local high school bullies. ...

The Rumblejetts are a rockabilly band from Kansas City, Missouri. The band appeared in July and August 2007 on the CBS Early Show as finalists for the "Living Room Live: Battle of the Bands" competition and recently finished their 3rd Cd called "Cool Down Baby" on SpinJett records. The album was recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2007, they also performed as an opening act for The Stray Cats. The Rumblejetts feature Pedro Mora on upright bass and vocals, Jim Holopter on lead guitar, and Judd Kite on drums. Another rockabilly band called Jonny Come Lately comprised of four 15-year olds competed on America's Got Talent in Summer 2007. Hudson and Hoo Doo Cats is a rockabilly band founded in Austin, Texas in 1989. 1995 they relocated to St. Louis, Missouri. Hudson Harkins, the band leader and founder, describes their sound as "JumpSwinginRockinBoogieBluesaBilly". They're success has come mainly in the midwest. Stray Cats was formed by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer in the Long Island town of Massapequa, NY, in 1979. ... Americas Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network. ...

The Rockabilly Look

Stray Cats model the rockabilly look on their "Lonesome Tears" cover.

Since the emergence of the Stray Cats, rockabilly fans have been much more conscious about dressing the part. In the UK, this has meant a full-fledged revival of Teddy Boy fashions, and in the United States, fans have favored more of the greaser look. In both cases, men have sported flamboyant pompadours, with lots of hair pomade, long sideburns, tight jeans or black slacks, brothel creeper shoes, Texas “bolo” neckties, and a fondness for color combinations of pink and black with leopard-skin accents. American fans have also adopted bowling shirts, gas station "work" shirts, cowboy shirts, and Hawaiian “aloha” shirts, as well as the leather motorcycle jacket. Today though, more then ever, the real classic rock'n'roll and hollywood style of the 50's is being copied by many designers. The new stuff may not look the part as much as the real 50's clothing that incorporated real rayons and wool gabardines with "fleck"(a small clumping of threads through out the fabric to mock the appearance of raw silk) that made the clothing much flashier then it is today. The popular rockabilly pants are hollywood slacks. These are very high waisted pleated pants that usually have dropped belt loops and no waistband. They looked very nice in different gabardines and sharkskins. This was also true for the shirts and jackets that would have bright colors and neo art deco patterns. This vintage "Hollywood" clothing is much sought after today and to have just one piece could put a real dent in your wallet. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (778x781, 134 KB) This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the recording or cover artwork in... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (778x781, 134 KB) This image is of a cover of an audio recording, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist(s) which produced the recording or cover artwork in... The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. ... // The Teddy boy youth culture first emerged in Britain (starting in London, and rapidly spreading across the country) during the early 1950s, and soon after became strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. ... For other uses of the term, see Greaser This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Pompadour is a style of haircut which takes its name from Madame de Pompadour. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Sideburns (or colloquially sideboards[1] or mutton chops[2]) are patches of facial hair on the sides of a mans face, in front of the ears. ... In 2003 Osiris Shoes produced Ali Boulala Brothel creeper skateboarding trainers Creepers or brothel creepers are a type of shoe that gained popularity in the 1950s with the rise of rockabilly and the teddy boy youth culture in the United States and the United Kingdom. ... A Bola Tie. ... Gabardine Gabardine is a tough, tightly woven fabric used to make suits, overcoats, trousers and other garments. ...

The motorcycle jacket stems from the rockers, who needed them as much for function as for fashion. The rockers were as notorious for being Café Racers as for their love of rockabilly music. They gathered in places such as London's Ace Cafe, where they would place bets on a table for a quick race. These races involved running out and mounting their hopped-up motorcycles and racing them around a short predetermined course of roads, circling back to park, and getting back to the table before a selected rockabilly song finished playing on the jukebox. The rockers' dangerous antics and attitude was perhaps the greatest influence to the lasting romance, symbolism, image, and overall fashion that has immortalized rockabilly. Although nearly all of the motorcycle operators were male, there were plenty of girls involved in the image who rode on back of the bikes. Rocker jackets. ... The definitive Wild One. ... the legendary AJS 7R 350 cc Boy racer A Café racer, originally pronounced caff (as in Kaff) racer, is a type of motorcycle as well as a type of motorcyclist. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

Women’s fashions in the rockabilly community have never really revived the true 1950s look of poodle skirts worn with letter sweaters. However, glamorous 1950s dresses, often with crinolines, have found some favor. Many of today’s female rockabilly fans are inspired by bad girl pinup models of the 1950s, such as Bettie Page. They often wear animal prints, horn-rimmed sunglasses, fishnet stockings, tight jeans, capris, or short shorts. Tattoos are popular among both sexes.^[41] A poodle skirt is a wide swing skirt worn with layers of petticoats underneath, often on its own (worn with a cardigan) or sometimes as part of a dress. ... Bettie Mae Page (though listed Betty on her birth certificate) born April 22, 1923 in Nashville, Tennessee, is a former American model who became famous in the 1950s for her fetish modeling and pin-up photos. ... ‎ Horn-rimmed glasses are a type of eyeglasses with frames made of horn, tortoise shell, or plastic that simulates either material. ... Not to be confused with: fishing net. ... A pair of Capri pants  It should be possible to replace this fair use image with a freely licensed one. ...

Music sample

"Good Rockin' Tonight" GoodRockinTonight. ...

Sample from Elvis Presley's "Good Rockin' Tonight"

Problems listening to the file? See media help. “Elvis” redirects here. ...

See also

• The Ace Cafe
• Alternative country
• Country music
• Cowpunk
• Gothabilly
• Greasers
• Honky tonk
• Heavy Rebel Weekend
• List of Rockabilly musicians
• Roots rock
• Pomade
• Psychobilly
• Rockers
• Teddy Boy
• Western swing
• Stray Cats
• Moonlight Cruisers

The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Matt Hillyer of Texas-based Eleven Hundred Springs Alternative country is a term applied to various subgenres of country music. ... country music, see Country music (disambiguation) Country music, the first half of Billboards country and western music category, is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States. ... Cowpunk or Country Punk is a subgenre of punk rock that began in southern California in the 1980s, especially Los Angeles. ... Gothabilly is a portmanteau expression which refers to the fusion of rockabilly music and the Goth culture. ... For other uses of the term, see Greaser This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Honky tonk was originally the name of a type of bar common throughout the southern United States, also Honkatonk or Honkey-tonk. ... This is a list of musicians who have played rockabilly or one of its direct spinoffs. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The definitive Wild One. ... // The Teddy boy youth culture first emerged in Britain (starting in London, and rapidly spreading across the country) during the early 1950s, and soon after became strongly associated with American rock and roll music of the period. ... Western swing is, first and foremost, a fusion of country music, several styles of jazz, pop music and blues aimed at dancers. ... The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. ... The Moonlight Cruisers is a Mexican-American music band. ...

Footnotes

External links

• Legendary Rockabilly music record label.
• Greatest Rockabilly weekender.
• Baltimore Psychobilly: Live music featuring rockabilly music.
• The Rockabilly Homepage
• Rockabilly Hall Of Fame
• Rockabilly Magazine
• BlackCat Rockabilly Europe
• The Rockabilly Guitar Page
• Rockabilly CD reviews