William John Clifton Haley was born on 6 July 1925 in Highland Park, Detroit, and raised near Chester, Pennsylvania. His parents were both musical, and he got his first proper guitar when he was 13. Even though he was blind in one eye and shy about his disability (he later tried to distract from it with his trademark kiss-curl), he started playing local shows. A Professional Yodeller In his late teens he joined ...
(Singer-songwriter, 1936–73) Aged 20, New York-born Walden Robert Cassotto’s chart career started with the novelty million-seller, ‘Splish Splash’. Leading The Rinky Dinks, he next charted with ‘Early In The Morning’ (later a hit for Buddy Holly), and in 1957 ‘Queen Of The Hop’ also sold a million. His major breakthrough was 1959’s million-selling ‘Dream Lover’, followed by his Sinatra-esque US/UK No. 1 cover of ‘Mack The Knife’, the first of several ...
Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas, on 7 September 1936. Buddy got a guitar in his mid-teens and started practising with friend, Bob Montgomery. They liked country and western but also had predilection for the blues. An Elvis gig in Lubbock in early 1955 alerted them to new possibilities. Buddy and Bob, as they called themselves, played local radio stations and were making a reputation; but when ...
(Guitar, vocals, 1932–88) Tennessee-born Perkins was a rockabilly pioneer. Signed to Sun Records in 1955, he is most famous for 1956’s US country chart-topper/US pop Top 3/UK Top 10 ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. On his way to New York for a TV appearance, Perkins was involved in a serious car crash, and a 1956 Elvis Presley cover version of the song was a million-seller. Perkins was sidelined and despite continuing to record, ...
(Singer-songwriter, 1928–58) Known as ‘The Sheik Of The Stroll’, Atlanta-born Harold Willis was a rising star, with a string of US R&B hits to his credit, the biggest 1957’s R&B No. 1, ‘C.C. Rider’, which also made the US pop Top 20. Signed to Okeh Records between 1952 and 1954, his career took off in 1956, when he signed with Atlantic, for whom he made a second posthumous R&B chart-topper, 1958’s ...
(Guitar, singer-songwriter, 1938–60) Oklahoma-born Cochran was a rising star of rock’n’roll, guest-starring in 1956’s The Girl Can’t Help It, the best ever rock’n’roll movie. He wrote songs with lyrics that spoke to teenagers like 1958’s ‘Summertime Blues’ (US Top 10/UK Top 20) and 1959’s ‘C’mon Everybody’ (UK Top 10). After dying in a car crash while on tour in Britain with Gene Vincent, his UK popularity increased, with 1960’s ‘Three Steps ...
Elvis Aaron Presley was born in his family’s shot-gun shack in Tupelo, Mississippi, on 8 January 1935. His twin brother died at birth, and his mother doted on her sole son. He showed musical aptitude early, and loved to sing at the local First Assembly of God church. His mother, Gladys and father, Vernon, moved to Memphis when Elvis was 13, first to a run-down area, then to good public ...
(Piano, singer-songwriter, b. 1928) Signed to Imperial Records, New Orleans-born Antoine Domino’s first million-seller, ‘The Fat Man’ (1949) began a run of over 60 US pop and R&B hits by 1964, many written by Domino with Dave Bartholomew. Other million-selling classics included ‘Ain’t That A Shame’ (1955), ‘Bo Weevil’, ‘I’m In Love Again’ and ‘Blueberry Hill (all 1956), ‘Blue Monday’ (featured in The Girl Can’t Help It) and ‘I’m Walkin’’ (both ...
(Singer-songwriter, b. 1936) Canadian Jack Scafone Jr. has enjoyed hits on three record labels since his 1958 breakthrough with the US Top 3 rock ballad, ‘My True Love’, whose full throttle rock’n’roll flipside, ‘Leroy’, also peaked just outside the US Top 10. When Scott left Carlton Records in 1959, after nine US hits in 18 months, he signed with Top Rank Records, instantly producing another US Top 5, ‘What In The ...
(Singer-songwriter 1934–84) Detroit-born Jackie Wilson, an ex-amateur boxer, sang with gospel groups before replacing Clyde McPhatter in Billy Ward and The Dominoes in 1953. His first solo success came with 1957’s UK and US hit, Reet Petite’, co-written by Berry Gordy Jr., who went on to found Motown Records. His first US Top 40 hit was 1958’s ‘To Be Loved’, and his first US Top 10 single was 1958’s ‘Lonely Teardrops’, ...
(Piano, vocals, b. 1935) After signing to Sun Records in 1957, Louisiana-born rock’n’roller Lewis, noted for his percussive piano style, opened his account with two million-selling US Top 3 hits, ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On’ and ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ (both 1957), but caused major media controversy during a 1958 UK tour when it was discovered that his wife, who was also his cousin, was 13 years old (legal in parts ...
(Guitar, singer-songwriter, 1932–2003) Arkansas-born Cash enjoyed a 49-year career involving several periods of huge popularity. After USAF service, he formed a trio with Luther Perkins (guitar) and Marshall Chapman (bass). Auditioning for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Cash played rockabilly. He scored more than 20 US country hits and several US pop hits before signing with Columbia/CBS in late 1958, when he became among the biggest country music attractions, ...
(Bandleader, singer-songwriter, b. 1921) Of Greek parentage, California-born John Veliotes topped the US R&B chart twice in 1950 with ‘Double Crossing Blues’ and ‘Mistrustin’ Blues’, both credited to The Johnny Otis Orchestra. After moving from Berkeley to Los Angeles, he supposedly discovered such notable R&B vocalists as ‘Little’ Esther Phillips, Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton, Etta James, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Hank Ballard, Jackie Wilson and Little Willie John, as well as ...
(Singer-songwriter, b. 1939) London-born Reginald Smith enjoyed 15 UK hit singles between 1958 and 1962. He appeared regularly on early British TV pop shows: 6.5 Special and Oh Boy, and was the star of Boy Meets Girls, where he met and married his wife, a member of The Vernons Girls, but marriage affected his popularity. Arguably the closest home-grown rival to Cliff Richard at the time, Wilde appeared in the West ...
(Piano, singer-songwriter, b. 1939) New York-born Sedaka started writing songs as a teenager with lyricist Howard Greenfield. They wrote many hits for Sedaka, including 1959’s ‘Oh Carol’, 1961’s ‘Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen’ and 1962’s US No. 1 , ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’. The early 1970s saw a Sedaka renaissance when he made two albums with what would become 10cc, followed with another US No. 1, ‘Laughter In The Rain’ ...
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David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
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