July 4th, 1958 - This Week In Rockabilly History
July 4th, 1958 - Buddy Holly And The Crickets head out on a Summer Dance Party Tour in Angola, Indiana. They hit the road with Holly behind the wheel of his brand new Lincoln Continental.
April 7th, 1957 - This Week In Rockabilly History
April 7th, 1957 - CBS Radio debuts the first regularly scheduled, nationally broadcast "Rock And Roll Show, Rock 'N' Roll Dance Party", with Alan Freed as the host.
March 10th, 1997 - This Week In Rockabilly History
March 10th, 1997 - LaVern Baker, singer of rockabilly record hop favorite "Voodoo Voodoo," dies of heart failure at the age of 67. She placed 7 songs in the US Top 40 in the mid-1950s and early 1960s, including "Tweedlee Dee", "Jim Dandy" and "I Cried A Tear".
September 19th - This Day In Rockabilly
September 19th, 2006: On this date in 2006, the governor of Tennessee declares it to be Carl Perkins Day in honor of its native son. Carl was born in Tiptonville, Tennessee.
August 29th - This Day In Rockabilly
August 29th, 1998 - Rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers passes away due to complications from a stroke induced coma. His theatrical, hiccup, energetic, rockabilly vocal style inspired a later generation of rock singers such as Lux Interior of The Cramps.
Charlie Feathers at Sun circa 1956, Photo courtesy J.Huffman/Escott and Good Rockin' Tonight
August 6th - This Day In Rockabilly
August 6th, 1956 - The Alan Freed movie Rock! Rock! Rock! starts filming, starring Tuesday Weld (her singing vocals dubbed by Connie Francis). it features performances by Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, The Moonglows, The Flamingos and LaVern Baker.
July 15th - This Day In Rockabilly
July 15th, 1986 - After twenty eight years and nine Top 40 hits, Columbia Records announces that Johnny Cash will be dropped from their label. He would go on to sign with Polygram Records the next year.
June 24th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 24th, 1998 - Johnny Cash performs for the first time since has was stricken with Shy-Drager Syndrome the previous October. Johnny joined a surprised Kris Kristofferson, who was singing Cash’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
June 20th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 20th, 1983 - Legendary guitar player Duane Eddy performs in San Francisco, kicking off his first tour in the US in fifteen years.
June 17th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 17th, 1955 - "Colonel" Tom Parker arranges a meeting with Elvis Presley's manager, Bob Neal, which results in an agreement that will have the Colonel handle Presley's shows and career strategy going forward.
June 14th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 14th, 1958 - "Johnny B. Goode," written by Chuck Berry about pianist/friend Johnnie Johnson, makes the Top 10 in the USA.
June 13th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 13, 1989 - Jerry Lee Lewis gets a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located at 6631 Hollywood Blvd.
June 11th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 11th, 1955 – Fats Domino's song "Ain't That A Shame" hits number 1 on the U.S. R&B singles chart for 11 straight weeks in 1955. It would be forever identified as a classic rock ’n’ roll song.
June 9th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 9th, 1958 - Ritchie Valens' first single "Come On Let's Go" is released on the Del-Fi record label
June 7th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 7th, 1954 - Bill Haley And His Comets record "Shake, Rattle and Roll" at Decca Records in New York. The cover of Big Joe Turners hit becomes the first rock n' roll song to sell a million copies.
June 5th - This Day In Rockabilly
June 5th, 1956 - Gene Vincent releases "Be-Bop-A-Lula" in America where it will hit No. 5 and sell over a million copies.
June 2nd - This Day In Rockabilly
June 2nd, 2008 - American guitarist and singer Bo Diddley dies of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida aged 79. The legendary singer and performer was known for his homemade square guitar and his shave and a haircut, two bits' rhythm, which influenced artists like Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.
May 31st - This Day in Rockabilly
May 31st, 1961 - Chuck Berry opens an amusement called “Berry Park” near St Louis. Features included at the park were a zoo, a golf course and a ferris wheel.
May 27th - This Day in Rockabilly
May 27th, 1957 – Buddy Holly & The Crickets release the hit single “That’ll Be the Day”.
May 26th - This Day in Rockabilly
May 26th, 1963 - Elvis Presley records "(You're The) Devil In Disguise", which will reach No. 3 on the Billboard Chart and No. 1 in the UK by next August and be certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of more than 500,000 units in the US.