referred to as "a white man with a colored sound"

• Elvis recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" in late January 1956, but he reportedly asked RCA to hold it back because he didn't want to take the hit away from either Perkins or his old friend Sam Phillips, a generous gesture that Carl has always appreciated, especially since Elvis sang the song three times on national television-twice on the Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show" in January and February and again on his famous April 3 "Milton Berle Show" appearance. (Elvis's "Blue Suede Shoes," included on his first 45 ep and lp and afterward released as a single, backed with "Tutti Frutti," reached number twenty in May.) In all, "Blue Suede Shoes" was covered early that year by a dozen artists, from Western swing's Pee Wee King to R&B saxman Sam "the Man" Taylor to schmaltzmeister Lawrence Welk. (Dawson & Propes, 1992)

Blue Suede Shoes

• born in Michigan
  • father—guitar-playing textile worker
  • mother—piano teacher/church organist
• emerged from country music, first recording at 18 ("Candy Kisses")
• at 23, became disc jockey (WPWA; Chester, PA; known as "Ramblin' Yodeler"); he answered an ad in Billboard and was hired as singing yodeler for the Down Homers

• meanwhile, recorded with the Down Homers (the Saddlemen, 1949); became the Comets in 1953
• 1951—covered Jackie Brenston's "Rocket 88" (sax player for Ike Turner Band; recorded 1951); sold moderately well, but convinced Haley that such high-energy music (sing along, clap, & dance) was the future

Dawson & Propes on "Rocket 88 "

• 1952—dropped cowboy image altogether

Dawson & Propes on "Rock the Joint"

• 1953—"Crazy, Man, Crazy" became the first rock & roll record to make the Billboard pop chart
• 1954—signed with Decca & released "Rock Around the Clock" which sold moderately
  • follow-up "Shake, Rattle, & Roll" (Joe Turner cover) hit the Top Ten in US & Britain

• 1955—"Rock Around the Clock" is rereleased and hits #1 (Blackboard Jungle)
  • Whitburn calls this song the "dividing line" of Rock & Roll ... starts his #1 Hits book with this selection

• 1955-56—Haley was the most popular Rock & Roll performer in the world; in those two years, he had 12 Top 40 hits!!
• 1957—suffered from overexposure; appeared in two movies (Rock Around the Clock & Don't Knock the Rock); his image was wrong (pudgy, rather stiff, balding, over 30)
• 1969-early 70s—Haley & His Comets played Rock & Roll Revival Shows
• 1970s—alcoholism/increasing paranoia; died 2/81
• 1986—among the first inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame