It was an ordinary day. Listening to a few of my old CDs from the past. Songs from Elvis, Do Diddley and even a few from Little Richard. Little Richard died in 2020 and was one of the most important and influential performers of the 20th century. Little Richard has long been placed on the hypothetical "Mount Rushmore" of rock and roll. But, he was just one of many of the pioneers and founders of rock 'n roll, blues, doo-wop and rockabilly and a few more. It would be tough to list just a few of those who had a part in the formation of music in the 50s an 60s. But, I can at least give you the names of a few of my all-time favorites and see if you might remember them from the past. So...here goes.....
Little Richard: He was known as the "Architect of Rock and Roll." Richard Wayne Penniman combined piano virtuosity and an explosive brand of showmanship punctuated by those immortal "whoooooos." He blasted his way through a succession of hits that drove teenagers like me crazy and terrified our parents. A few of my favorite songs from Little Richard were "Long Tall Sally, Tutti Fruity, Good Golly Miss Molly and Lucille.
Elvis Presley: Now, he was definitely "The King of Rock and Roll." What's maybe more amazing is that you can invoke all of the different phrases of Elvis such as "Movie Elvis," "Early Elvis," "Army Elvis, " etc. and just about everyone knows what you mean. When my parents heard "That's All Right" they knew they were in trouble.
Fats Domino: He was one fine piano man! He grew up steeped in Creole and Catholicism and got some musical inspiration from his violin-playing father, but it was his jazz musician brother-in-law Harrison Verrett who taught him how to play piano. And, boy could he hammer those keys. "Ain't That a Shame" made him a star never to be forgotten...at least by me!
Bo Diddley: It takes a special kind of rock star to make your own name into a hit song such as Bo Diddley did. It was in 1955, on The Ed Sullivan Show that I saw him for the first time. Never forgot him!
Bill Haley & His Comets: I know many others might think differently. but the first rock and roll record was "Rocket 88" which made it to the #1 spot on July 9, 1955. Bill Haley & His Comets were a group from my home state of Pennsylvania, so I just had to cheer for them.
Buddy Holly: He actually opened for Elvis in 1955 and became one of the most important figures to hold a guitar in the '50s. "The Crickets" are what a rock band should have been with guitars, bass and a drummer. And Buddy actually wrote his own songs which wasn't the norm for the early Rock 'n Roll era.
The Everly Brothers: Got to see these guys a few years ago at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA. They were at odds for most of the past few years and actually arrived in separate buses. Their style was harmony, harmony and more harmony. I just loved "Bye, Bye Love," "Wake Up Little Susie," and "All I Have to Do is Dream." You have to remember all three if you were a Rock 'n Roll fanatic.
Chubby Checker: Saw him on "American Bandstand" after coming home from school when I was in High School in the early 1960s. Many say he was Rock 'n Roll's first dance artist after introducing "The Twist" on TV in 1960. He continued with hits such as "Pony Time," "The Fly," and "Limbo Rock." I was never that good at any of those dance steps. Just ask my friends who enjoyed laughing at me when I danced!
And...my final, but not necessarily my least favorite, was Roy Orbison: Roy topped the Top 100 with one of my least favorites known as "Ooby Dooby." Remember that one? I don't! What made him so great was his voice which always seemed on the verge of heartbreak. Loved his black clothes with black sunglasses but then again...it was black & white TV I was watching back then so everyone was wearing black. Some of my favorites were "Only the Lonely," "Crying," "In Dreams," and "It's Over." And with that, I will tell you it's over. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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