Bobby Vee

Bobby Vee

This entertainer's history speaks for him. Bobby Vee had hit after hit the entire time I was in high school. He had 38 Top 100 hits in something like a ten year period. 


If there was ever a recording artist who established himself with one particular age group it was Bobby Vee and the Class of 63. 

Bobby Vee

Bobby Vee and The Crickets

He's from Fargo, North Dakota an area I enjoy. He is in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame although I don't quite get that since he's not what I think of as Rockabilly. But they know better than I. To me Bobby Vee was a pure pop star. That's not a bad thing. It's who he is and who he was. We loved his fun cheerful music and voice. 

Bobby Vee

Bobby Vee and The Ventures

Bobby as far as I know is still performing on a regular basis. I remember hearing about his long run in Branson, Missouri, just  never got up there. Wish I could have, I know he would have been fun to see.


Here are a few links for more info and fun with Bobby Vee.




     Mucho Info           Web site            Bio              Videos

The Rock and Roll Trio

The Rock and Roll Trio

I'm going to have to explain this one. The group nor the individuals qualify under the rules I've set up to keep myself from writing a million stories.

Johnny Burnette

The Rock and Roll Trio

But.....They were so influential on later generations of musicians I am having a hard time not including the Rock and Roll Trio.  I am not going to try to tell the individual stories. Instead, I will give you pictures and links so the reader might explore at will.

Paul Burlison

The Rock and Roll Trio

Johnny Burnette, his older brother Dorsey and their fellow Memphis golden glove boxer, Paul Burlison, formed the rockabilly group in 1952 or 53.  They had some local success but failed to land anything on the charts.  They changed the name to The Rock and Roll Trio and moved to New York.

The Rock and Roll Trio

A contract with Coral records got them several recording sessions and a couple of good releases. But despite some really great television appearances the recording failed to chart. It was back to Tennessee and on with life away from the music business for Paul.


 The Burnette Brothers went to California and had a modicum of success between 1957 and 1960. Each of the brothers had a couple of decent pop hits. Johnny hit with "Dreamin" and "You're Sixteen", while Dorsey charted with "Tall Oak Tree and "Hey Little One". By 63 the hits had stopped coming.

Dorsey Burnette

While in California, Johnny, drowned in a boating accident. Dorsey never got over his brother's death. Eventually, Dorsey found a bit of success in the Country and Western market.


Opinion....Paul Burlison was way ahead of his time. The Memphis electrical contracting industry may have gained a good contractor but

Paul Burlison


 the music industry lost a hell of a pioneer. Who knows why, but it could have been the best for Paul and his family.

     Paul'sl Info    Paul's Rockabilly  


  Paul's Videos   Paul's Train


    
     Dorsey's Info    Dorsey's Rockabilly      Dorsey's Videos




  
   Johnny's Info   Johnny's Rockabilly  Johnny's Videos

I have marked one of the links above as Paul's Train. He was light years ahead.

Conway Twitty

Conway Twitty

I know ! I know ! You don't think the Country Super Star should be in this rock and roll blog. Well here is my defense. Conway Twitty was a part of rock and roll history. He had sufficient hits for me to be unable to write him off as a one hit wonder. He is not considered an important outside influence as many others who are left out might be.


Conway Twitty was a big time rock and roller when I was a kid. He had lots of rock and roll hits and was influential among other rockers. Conway Twitty was a rock and roll pioneer, especially to me. He's in.

Conway Twitty and Mamie Van Doren

Now here is a story I hope will confirm my personal knowledge of Conway as a rock and roll big timer.


It was Christmas in our southern hill country and it was 1960. My buddy and I were home from Military School in Tennessee. We had not seen our home town, friends or family since August or September. I was 15 by less than a month. My pal, Mack, was 16 or barely 17. Came the first Saturday night of our home stay and Mack invited me to ride down to Newport, our neighboring "wet" town, to see Conway Twitty at the big beer joint known as The Silver Moon.

A Young ConwayTwitty

I thought well this is the big time. Hanging with high school seniors, in a beer joint, listening to a rock and roll teen idol. What could be better for a young man home on prep school Christmas leave. (A hell of a lot) When I say teen idol I'm serious. The man who is thought of as a country super star had never recorded a country song. His entire short career at that point was strictly rock and roll.

Conway Twitty

Conway's recordings as of 1960, consisted of a #93 in 1957 for his first chart recording I Need Your Loving. He had a #1 hit in 1958 with "It's Only Make Believe". In 1959 he had three rock hits with a #29 for Mona Lisa, a #10 for Danny Boy, and a #6 for Lonely Blue Boy. During the year of our Christmas "experience" 1960 Conway hit the charts with a #26 for What Am I Living For, a #98 for She's Mine and a #22 for C'est Si Bon. The following year, 1961, his rock and roll world began to crash. He had two hits on the charts both scoring far lower than his former high flying records. One was a 72 and the other in the 90's.

Conway Twitty

From 1957 to 1961 he charted 12 rock and roll records. Of those 12 he had 7 Top 40's, 2 Top 10's and one Number 1 hit.


Conway was not stupid. He could read the music business like few before or after him. From 1962 through 1965, Conway did not chart anything. He was not ready to accept defeat nor get out of the music business. He came from country roots, so in 1965, it was a natural to switch over to Country and Western. It took a couple of years to get the country dj's to accept this rock and roller. By 1968 he had worked his way to the top of the C & W heap. The rest is record setting sales. His sales have been eclipsed by one artist, and only one, George Strait.

Conway Twitty

C & W sales summation:  From 66 until 93 he charted:


    93 Top 100,  84  Top 40's,  74 Top 10's, 


    66 Top 5's  and 


                 Forty     (40)        #1 


          Country and Western Records


That's right 40 Number ONE  C & W hits. So no matter how good or cool you might think you or your music choices might be, you have to give the man credit for succeeding.

Conway Twitty a Rockabilly Rockin Son of a Gun !

Our trip to The Silver Moon Club ? It happened. I saw Conway rock his butt off. He had a hell of a band. Everybody was dancing. I think I'll leave the rest of it a mystery since I now have grandsons of the same age. I don't think they would be caught dead reading about old stuff like this but you never know.


          Web site        Info         Videos         Awards  


         CM          Delta         Rockabilly



He won a couple of Grammy's but I don't seem to be able to find a link to Conway. Sorry.

Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn

To finish the argument that Conway Twitty was first a rocker, just let me say, during the Christmas period of 1960, I don't think Conway or any of us had a clue he was or ever would be anything other than a rock and roller. Another good Arkansas rocker gone off to make music. End of story.

Charlie Rich

"The Silver Fox", Charlie Rich

Well, I make it all right from Monday morning to Friday night.


But Oh, Those lonely weekends !!!!!


Charlie Rich had a ton of hits. He scored big time in the country field but did fairly well with cross overs into pop as well. Charlie started out as a jazz pianist, got a hit or two as a rocker, fell back and worked as a Memphis session man, went to Nashville and became a country music star.

Charlie Rich

In addition to his first, "Lonely Weekends", Charlie Rich had 14 Top 100 pop hits. He had 8 in the Top 40 and one in Top 10 which went to number one. 


His history in country and western was much more dramatic. Once established with good connections and producers, Charlie showed what he could do. He had 9 # 1 hits in less than 15 years. He had 45 in the Top 100, 30 in the Top 40, 17 in the Top 10 and 14 in the Top 5.

Mr. Smooth...Charlie Rich

The early 70's were good for Charlie. Awards came fast and furious. 


The Academy of Country Music: 1973, Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Top Male Vocalist.


American Music Awards: 1974 Top Country Single, 1975 Top Country Male Artist, Top Country Single.


Country Music Association: 73 Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, 1974 Album of the Year, Entertainer of the Year.

Charlie Rich at the Keyboard

Grammy Awards: 1974 Best Country Vocals for Males, 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame.


Not a bad career for a jazz pianist who "just wanted to play".


     Web site     Info 


             Videos  


   CMT     Rockabilly 


Even with all those hits when I think of Charlie Rich I go back to his very first hit. The one that meant so much to a fourteen year old living far away from family and friends. "Lonely Weekends".

Who could forget, Charlie Rich !

Charlie Rich, another Arkansas boy gone to Memphis to make music. There's much more to Charlie's story. It's public but I see no sense into going into it here. 


Rest in Peace you old "Silver Fox" ! 

The Ventures

Wish I still had this album. The Ventures Walk Don't Run.

I enjoy instrumental rock. Maybe it's because I don't play an instrument and am constantly amazed how anyone might coax beautiful sound from an inanimate object. Maybe it's because I like to have an opportunity to hear the instruments without concentrating on the lyrics. It's just a thing I guess.


That's a hell of a way to introduce one of the biggest instrumental groups in rock and roll history. The Ventures came along when I was 13 or 14 years of age. I had friends who were learning to play guitars. I watched as they struggled to learn "Walk Don't Run". I secretly admired their ability to play, no matter how badly. It was better than I would ever do. 

The Ventures

The Ventures probably caused more kids to want a guitar than any other group. To this day I think Fender owes the Ventures a ton. 


They sold over a 100 million albums in the 4o plus years of recording. They are from Tacoma, Washington in the Pacific Northwest. They've influenced more big name musicians than any other group. They are big to this day in Japan. Japan is the number two record sales market in the world. That means something. They are probably the first group of any kind to release more albums than singles. They felt theme albums was the way to present their music. Apparently it worked.

The Ventures

Below you will find a link to the some of the videos on the internet. If your in a mood to "rock out" or if your in a mood that needs "rocking". Let me make a couple of suggestions. Look for the Ventures video where one of the guitar players is wearing what looks like a Richard Petty cowboy hat.


I couldn't verify it but I think it is a 1989 Ventures t.v. special of some kind. They play the old hits with guests sitting in. One of those songs is "Wipe Out" with twin drummers. Max Weinburg is the second. It is one of the kickin est performances I have ever seen. Max looks like he is having an absolute ball.

Surfin with the Ventures

After that click on the link labeled Peter. That will be Peter Frampton playing with them looking like a little kid at Christmas. The next is Chris Spedding and Peter Frampton playing with the Ventures on Pipeline. This video and sound is just about as entertaining as any bit of music I have ever seen. You can't help but get caught up in the "wall of sound".  Folks ! It just does not get any better. Enjoy the boogie.

Christmas Joy with The Ventures

              Mucho Info    R & R  


                               Videos   


             Max     Peter    Chris-Pete

Bill Black's Combo

Bill Black's Combo

People, let me tell you. This one's personal. I loved the instrumentals put out by this historic group. I loved to dance to their music. But they were also a part of our local and my personal history.


If your not familiar with Bill Black, he was Elvis's bass player. Bill and Scotty Moore would stay with Elvis through the first big rockabilly years (54-58) and then be run off by "the Colonel". I would also add they made very little money while the "King" was being made by the "Colonel" (not).

Bill Black and his Combo

Bill would go onto found a group called Bill Black's Combo in 1959. They recorded instrumentals in the pop market and later on for the Country and Western Charts. Between 59 and 62 they had eight in the Top 40.


Some of the Combo's hits were Smokie Part 1 and Part 2 (1960)(#17).  White River Sands or White Silver Sands, not sure which it was called, went to #9. Josephine was #18, Don't Be Cruel was #11, Blue Tango went to #16, Hearts of Stone climbed to #20. They had four albums. The Saxy Jazz stayed in the Top 100 for a whole year.

Bill Black's Combo

They were voted Billboards #1 Instrumental Group in 1961. Some reference said the strippers loved the music. It became the strip music of choice in the best and the lowest of strip joints. Not a half bad recommendation since the strippers in that day and time knew what music was and understood what both forms of rhythm meant. 


Bill Black died during brain surgery in 1965. He was 39 years of age. His widow sold the Combo kit and kaboodle to Bobby Joe Tucker and Larry Rogers in 65 or 66. Tucker had been playing guitar and managing the group since joining in 1963. Bill Black had quit traveling with the group due to health and his recording studio duties.

Bill Black's Combo

In 1964, Bill Black's Combo opened for the Beatles on their first American tour. Bill couldn't make the trip. Tucker was a full time Memphis State University journalism professor. Here's where the music and and the fan's life start to intertwine. 


Bill Black's Combo played in my little hometown for the White River Water Carnival sometime in the early sixties. I couldn't remember what year. Neither could Bobby Joe Tucker. 

Bill Black's Combo

Bobby Joe Tucker and I were friends when I was a journalism student at Memphis State. I knew he owned Bill Black's Combo because I asked him one day why he drove a big old black Lincoln. He said it was part of the Combo's transportation. That conversation was somewhere around 1966. 

Bill Black's Combo and the Beatles 1964

Tucker and I were neighbors. He, being a gainfully employed professor and owner of a rock and roll band, lived high on the hog at the swinging Cabana Apartments. I lived in the cheap Kimball Apartment complex next door. I was a married college student, working blue collar and he was the hipster with the good day gig.


    R & R      Mo Info       Videos     Hi Records    Rockabilly Hall


Tucker was a good guy. He taught a first year cinematography class. I think I had that one and maybe one or two more with him. John Thomas was our still photography instructor and Shelby Foote, the writer in residence.

Bill Black's Combo ! Oh Sugar !!

Today, I spoke with Bobby Joe Tucker for the first time since 1969. I called and we spoke for half and hour. We talked of the changes in our lives, music and Memphis. We laughed like a couple of kids. It was good to talk to my former journalism mentor and rock and roll hero. The guy never changes. Still a Jonesboro boy at heart.


I hope you have an opportunity to go to the links and listen to this music. It's my idea of kick back and relax rock and roll. When you dance to this music it's like slipping into a comfortable pair of loafers. It just seems to happen and feels good at the same time.


Good work Bill Black ! Good work Bobby Joe Tucker ! 


               We sure enjoyed it !                Y'all did good !

Hank Ballard

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

I would like to ask the readers to do something a little different this time. Instead of placing the links to videos at the bottom of the blog I am placing them at the top. 


       Video's      Broadway     info        DJ info      R&R


I want to ask you to go to click and play the song "Broadway". I had never heard Hand Ballard and the Midnighter's do it before this morning. It was done in 1962 as a "B" side to one of his Twist songs. 

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

I have always considered Hank Ballard to be a forerunner in good danceable rock and roll. But until this morning, some 49 years later, I had no idea how good a band he had with the Midnighter's. So please, take the time to listen to Broadway, the original "Twist" and so many other fine tunes. 




I'll give you a few links and be out of the way. I am literally blown away with "Broadway's" sax, guitar and especially the bass. Damn that bass is kickin. Have fun y'all.

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

Now here's just a couple of things you should know about Hank Ballard. He is in the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame without the Midnighters. Nobody knows why. He wrote the song "The Twist". Chubby Checker and Dick Clark covered it and made gillions. It is the only song to have gone to number one twice.

Hank Ballard and the Midnighters

He and the Midnighters early songs were considered too sexy for public consumption and were banned on many radio stations. Hank Ballard was in the music business for fifty or more years and died of natural causes in his seventies. He was by all accounts one of the first true rock and rollers. Great talent.