|
|
|
Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 40 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
|
 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Rockabilly
| On what label did Sonny Fisher's rockabilly singles come out in 1955-1956? | 1950s Rockabilly
|
Starday. Starday released four singles by Sonny Fisher, all of which were rockabilly classics. Ace Records of the UK later re-released them on a 10 inch album called Texas Rockabilly.
Moon. Although the Moon label was from Memphis, Charlie Feathers never recorded for them.
Decca. Buddy Holly's first singles were in a rockabilly style and were released by Decca. When he formed his band the Crickets, they got a contract with Coral Records (a subsidiary of Decca) as the Crickets and another contract with Brunswick (another subsidiary of Decca) for releases as Buddy Holly. MCA later got the rights to all Decca/Coral/Brunswick material and re-released it (several times).
Marty Robbins. Marty did the original and best version, Guy and Tommy also had hits with the tune.
| Who was the lead singer of the Sparkletones, who had hits with "Black Slacks" and "Penny Loafers and Bobby Sox" on ABC-Paramount? | 1950s Rockabilly
|
Joe Bennett. The Sparkletones consisted of:
Joe Bennett - vocals, guitar
Wayne Arthur - double bass
Howard "Sparky" Childress - guitar, vocals
Jimmy "Sticks" Denton - drums
Useless trivia: Paul Anka sang backing vocals on "Black Slacks" (he had been recording in the studio earlier that day, he was also on the ABC-Paramount label in 1957).
Cliff Gallup. The legendary Cliff Gallup played lead guitar on Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps' first two albums. However, he didn't fancy the rock'n'roll lifestyle, being on the road all the time, so he quit while they were on top to spend more time with his family.
| Who managed to have a cover version of "Ooby Dooby" released before Roy Orbison's original was released on Sun? | 1950s Rockabilly
|
Sid King. The Teen Kings (as Orbison's band was called) originally released "Ooby Dooby" on a small custom label Je-Wel. They tried to offer it to bigger labels, like Columbia. Columbia didn't sign them, but they did take note of the hit potential of the song, so they had their own artist Sid King make a cover. Sid King's version didn't become a hit, but Orbison's did when it was re-released on the Sun label in 1956.
| Harold Jenkins recorded for Sun Records but didn't make it big. Later he did on another label and under another name. What name? | 1950s Rockabilly
|
Conway Twitty. Harold Jenkins changed his name to Conway Twitty and had monster hits like "It's Only Make Believe" on the MGM label.
James Burton. James Burton also played behind Dale Hawkins and Elvis, among others.
| Whose recording was the rockabilly version of "The Train Kept A-Rolling"? | 1950s Rockabilly
|
Johnny Burnette. "The Train Kept A-Rolling" was one of the wildest rockabilly tunes by Johnny Burnette and the Rock'n'Roll Trio for Coral Records. Originally recorded by blues singer Tiny Bradshaw.
Jerry Allison. Jerry Allison played behind Buddy Holly, and in my opinion added to the sound with his cool drumming.
red. Sonny Burgess dyed his hair bright red and wore a red suit and played a red guitar in his shows with his band the Pacers. Well, why would that be surprising? If you've ever heard his Sun recordings of "We Wanna Boogie", "Ain't Got A Thing", "Red Headed Woman", etc.... a wild man he was, for sure.
teacher. Ray Campi is a school teacher, although he's done many other things in his life as well. None of which are mafioso, pilot, or magician, though (but who knows for sure?.. well, Ray does, of course). Ray Campi has become one of the most famous slapping bass players on the rockabilly scene... and yet his original 50s recordings like "Caterpillar" on TNT label did not feature a slapping bass at all, they had an electric bass. Useless trivia for you there :)
Hank Ballard. "The Twist" was written by and first recorded by Hank Ballard (of The Midnighters fame) in 1959. Chubby Checker covered the song the following year and took it to number one on the charts.
Columbia. The first single by the Everly Brothers was "Keep A-Lovin' Me" in 1956 on Columbia. It wasn't a hit. They started their hit streak on Cadence label in 1957 with "Bye Bye Love", and when they switched to Warner Brothers in 1960, they had a monster with "Cathy's Clown".
| Which Louisiana rockabilly artist first recorded for Goldband Records in 1955 with "No No Baby" and "Let's Go Boppin' Tonight", and later for Excello label with "I'm the Man"? | 1950s Rock'n'Roll/Rockabilly
|
Al Ferrier. Al Ferrier and his Boppin' Billies were an early rockabilly band from Louisiana. Al was the singer, and lead guitar was played by his brother Bryan Ferrier.
Bobby Charles. The song was written by the white Cajun blues musician Bobby Charles in 1955. He also recorded the first version of the song himself for Chess Records. His version was a minor local hit in New Orleans, but (as everyone knows) Bill Haley made a monster hit of the song in 1956.
| Which Rockabilly artist had solo hits with "Amos Moses" in 1970 and "When You're Hot, You're Hot" the following year? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Jerry Reed. After doing his stint in the service, Reed struggled as a songwriter and session player around Nashville. In 1967 he had his first country chart hit with "Guitar Man" which Elvis soon covered. Elvis ended up recording a total of four of Reed's compositions. Regular appearances on "The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour" (1968) gave Reed more exposure and by 1970 he charted "Amos Moses". Later in the seventies he played "Snowman" Cledus Snow in "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977).
Franny Beecher was a guitarist for Bill Haley and the Comets between 1954 and 1962. Johnny Grande was a piano player for Haley and Danny Cedrone played the solo on Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954.
| Which Rockabilly singer was dubbed "The Female Elvis Presley" because of her similar stage presence? She released her first record in 1956 with "Will You Willyum". | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Janis Martin. Janis Martin predated most pop singers. She starting her career around the same time as Elvis and Bill Haley. She won many talent contests singing Country music and appeared with some of the great Country artists, but tired of Country music and enjoyed performing Rockabilly Music. She signed with RCA, who dubbed her The Female Elvis and released songs such as "Let's Elope Baby", "Love Me to Pieces" and "My Boy Elvis". She performed at a convention for RCA where she was exposed to a world-wide audience but her career came to a halt when it was discovered she was pregnant and had secretly married her high school sweetheart.
"Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)" and "Norman" were big hits for Sue Thompson in the early sixties. Jo Ann Campbell was a dancer-turned-singer who released her first record, "Come On Baby", in 1957. In 1953 Bonnie Lou signed with King Records and had hits with "Seven Lonely Days" and other songs.
Frankie Ford. Frankie Ford recorded his vocals for "Sea Cruise" over a track that had already been recorded by Huey "Piano" Smith's band. While he enjoyed immense popularity and has toured continually since the release of "Sea Cruise" he has never duplicated the song's success and was considered a one-hit wonder.
Bruce Channel had a 1962 number one hit titled "Hey! Baby". Robin Luke was in high school at Punahou School in Hawaii when he when he wrote and recorded the number five "Susie Darlin" in 1958. The same year Johnny Burnette had a big hit with "You're Sixteen".
| Which Rockabilly Hall of Fame guitarist and songwriter co-wrote and recorded the first hit version of "Susie Q"? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Dale Hawkins. Dale Hawkins assembled some unique Louisiana musicians to play on the "Susie Q" sessions. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Rockabilly Hall of Fame member James Burton played the opening riff and the solo. Stan Lewis, Dale Hawkins and Burton share songwriting credits. Dale went on to enjoy a recording relationship with Chess Records and continued releasing occasional recordings into the nineties. He is also a member of The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
Billy Strange was known for writing several songs used in Elvis Presley movies as well as being a session guitarist for The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, Jan and Dean, Wanda Jackson, The Everly Brothers and many others. Dale's cousin, Ronnie Hawkins, has recorded over 25 albums. Among some of the members that have been in his band, The Hawks, were Pat Travers, Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson. Lytle worked as a guitarist with Bill Haley & The Comets and The Jodimars.
| Female artists are included on the roster of Rockabilly Hall of Fame members. Which female Rockabilly artist first hit the charts with the number six Country Chart hit "You Can't Have My Love"? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Wanda Jackson. Between 1958 and 2003 Wanda Jackson released over twenty albums. Among her hits were "The Box it Came in," "Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine," "Fancy Satin Pillows" and "My Big Iron Skillet". She dated Elvis while touring with him in the mid-fifties. In 1956 she signed with Capitol records and was a regular on ABC television's "Ozark Jubilee" between 1955 and 1960. She recorded and performed a blend of Rockabilly and Country styles. She eventually became a Las Vegas headliner for over a decade and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
When she began headlining shows she had a band called the Party Timers that included a young Roy Clark.
Inductee Etta James had a breakthrough hit with "At Last" in 1961. Barbara Pittman was one of the few female singers who recorded at Sun Studios. Linda Gail Lewis was the sister of Jerry Lee Lewis and formed an act with her daughters called The Lewis 3.
| Which guitar player's career got a jump start when he recorded the Top Ten hit "Memphis" in 1963? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Lonnie Mack. "Suzie-Q" and "Wham" were follow-up Lonnie Mack instrumentals. Lonnie was a touring musician and session guitarist before "Memphis" was an instrumental hit. After a recording session he was on as a session player he was offered twenty minutes of tape time to record whatever he wanted. He recorded "Memphis" and had forgotten all about it when he was informed that the single was burning up the charts while he was touring with Troy Seals. Although he later recorded some notable vocal efforts, he was best remembered for the influence he had on future guitarists.
Link Wray had success in 1958 with his instrumental "Rumble". Tommy Allsup fronted his own band before working with Buddy Holly. After the 1959 crash that took Holly's life he worked as a producer for Liberty Records. He has been inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame as well as The Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Tommy Facenda was a guitar player who toured with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps.
| Which member of The Rockabilly Hall of Fame gained fame releasing albums as a drummer and had a Number Four hit with "Teen Beat"? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Sandy Nelson. Sandy Nelson went to high school with Jan and Dean and gained a reputation as a session drummer before releasing his own records. In 1959 "Teen Beat" was released on Original Sound Records. He moved to Imperial Records and followed with "Let There Be Drums" and "Drums Are My Beat". Despite a 1963 accident that necessitated amputating his right foot, Nelson returned to recording into the seventies and has released over 25 albums.
Stan Beaver's 1963 hit, "I Got a Rocket in my Pocket" is a collector's item. Jumpin' Gene Simmons was an opening act for Elvis Presley during his early tours and co-wrote the 1994 Tim McGraw hit "Indian Outlaw". W.S. "Fluke" Holland was the drummer in Johnny Cash's Tennessee Three band.
| Which Rockabilly Hall of Fame member backed Elvis on guitar on the Sun Records recordings and on tour during the early years of Presley's career? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Scotty Moore. Moore was fronting a group called the Starlite Wranglers when Sam Phillips selected him to work with Bill Black and D. J. Fontana to back Elvis on records and during tour dates. Bill Black played the stand-up bass. Moore's innovative guitar work can be heard on "Hound Dog", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Mystery Train" and "Jailhouse Rock" along with many other Elvis classics. In addition to being in The Rockabilly Hall of Fame he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
John "Ace" Cannon was a saxophonist who played for Bill Black's Combo. Al Casey was a guitar player with the legendary wrecking crew session musicians.
| Which celebrated Rockabilly artist and inductee into The Rockabilly Hall of Fame sang "Twenty Flight Rock" in the 1957 movie "The Girl Can't Help It" and had chart success with "Summertime Blues" in 1958? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Eddie Cochran. Cochran wrote "Summertime Blues" with Jerry Capehart. His first successful release was in 1957 with "Sittin' in the Balcony". "Twenty Flight Rock" was credited to Eddie and AMI staff writer Ned Fairchild. Cochran went on to chart other hits after "Summertime Blues" and was on tour in England when he and Gene Vincent were in a cab that stuck a lamp post. Vincent suffered leg injuries but Cochran died the following day. His guitar was impounded for a while after the crash. A young police officer named David Harman learned to play on Cochran's impounded Gretsch guitar. He later recorded UK hits on the Fontana label as a member of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich.
In the fifties Eddie Bond was a Sun Records artist who toured with Elvis Presley and other Sun Record acts. Buddy Knox recorded "Party Doll" in 1957. Bill Garland recorded the 1945 release "Got Nothing on Me" before his death in a car crash.
| The first induction certificate in November, 1997, was issued to a Rockabilly artist who fronted a band called the Blue Caps and performed in films such as "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956). Who was this Rockabilly pioneer? | Rockabilly Hall of Fame
|
Gene Vincent.. Vincent Eugene Craddock took the stage name Gene Vincent after being released from the Navy. He formed The Blue Caps, a reference to a nickname for sailors. After winning a talent contest in 1956, Gene wrote "Be Bop-A-Lula" and eventually recorded the song for Capitol Records. Due to an aggressive promotional campaign the song rose to the number seven spot on the charts. Later in 1957 the group performed "Be Bop-A-Lula" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (1948). They charted a few other hits, but failed to dent the Top Ten again. "Lotta Lovin'" reached number 13. Gene relocated to England in the early sixties and continued to tour and record with various artists until his death on October 12, 1971.
Boyd Bennett was a Muscle Shoals, Alabama, native who had hits such as the number five "Seventeen" and "My Boy, Flat Top" in the fifties. He later became a Deejay. Sonny Burgess was a Sun Records alumni who recorded "We Wanna Boogie" in 1956. Between 1956 and 1958 Mac Curtis recorded seven releases for King Records. Gene Summers had several Rockabilly hits. His biggest was "Big Blue Diamonds".
| This man once went fishing with Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. He supported mental health facilities, provided assistance to homes for autistic children, and was active in seeking reforms for prisons. As the youngest member ever selected for the Country Music Hall of Fame, he was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1992, for his contributions to the Rockabilly sound. Who was this singer in black who walked the line to bring us "Rockabilly Blues"? | Rockabilly Rock
|
Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash, "The Man In Black", left a wide-ranging repertoire of music behind him. His legacy lends itself to the genres of Country, Gospel, Rock, Rockabilly, Folk, Blues, and who-knows-what other kinds of music. This versatile artist was also responsible for making a voice recording of the entire New King James Version of the New Testament.
| The year? 1958. The hit song? "Bird Dog". The artists? Phil and Don,
The Everly Brothers.
The question? Who wrote this catchy little tune? | Rockabilly Rock
|
Boudleaux Bryant. Oh. But that's not ALL that native Georgian Boudleaux Bryant wrote for the Everly Brothers. He and his wife, Felice, also penned such hits for them as "Bye Bye Love", "All I Have To Do Is Dream", "Problems", "Poor Jenny", "Like Strangers" and "Wake Up Little Susie."
| What were the first and middle names of the young fellow surnamed Nelson, who sang with a trademark sneer on his face and had such rockabilly successes as "Poor Little Fool" and "It's Late"?
(These are the names he was given at birth.) | Rockabilly Rock
|
Eric Hilliard. Ricky, (Rick) Nelson was born with the moniker Eric Hilliard Nelson. Hilliard was his mother's maiden name. His father, Ozzie Nelson, produced the television series in which the entire family starred, including Ricky's older brother David. "The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet" provided the vehicle for launching Ricky's singing career.
(Interestingly, neither Ricky nor Elvis ever made an appearance on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand". To put it simply, neither Ricky's father, Ozzie, nor Elvis' manager, Colonel Tom Parker would allow it.)
| What early rockabilly artist wrote the song "Blue Suede Shoes", after seeing a man get upset when his date scuffed up his shoes while they were dancing together? | Rockabilly Rock
|
Carl Perkins. Carl Perkins scored big with this number-one hit after it was released on January 1, 1956. He also composed "Daddy Sang Bass" for Johnny Cash, "I Was So Wrong" for Patsy Cline, and "Let Me Tell You About Love" for the Judds.
(Later, Elvis Presley, John Lennon, T. Rex, Ringo Starr and Wanda Jackson all recorded the song "Blue Suede Shoes" as well.)
|
Play Now! 