Rockabilly

{{short description|Early style of rock and roll music}}
{{About|the genre of music| wrestler formerly known as Rockabilly|Monty Sopp|the 1957 popular song|Rock-a-Billy (song)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Rockabilly
| image             = GazzguzzlersAtCaddysDiner.jpg
| caption           = Classic instruments associated with rockabilly are a hollow-body guitar, an upright bass, and a pared-down drum kit
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[Rock and roll]]|[[Country music|country]]|[[Bluegrass music|bluegrass]]|[[western swing]]|[[rhythm and blues]]}}
| cultural_origins  = Early to mid-1950s, [[Southern United States]]
| derivatives       = [[Garage rock]]
| subgenres         = 
| fusiongenres      = {{hlist|[[Psychobilly]]|[[gothabilly]]}}
| other_topics      = *[[Country rock]]
}}

'''Rockabilly''' is one of the earliest styles of [[rock and roll]] music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the [[Southern United States|South]]. As a genre it blends the sound of [[Western music (North America)|Western musical styles]] such as [[country music|country]] with that of [[rhythm and blues]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_fwh/book/classic_rock_n_roll/Rockabilly2.htm|title=ROCKABILLY Definition|website=Shsu.edu|access-date=August 22, 2015}}</ref><ref name="britannica.com">{{cite web|author=Craig Morrison |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506220/rockabilly |title=rockabilly (music) - Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=Britannica.com |date=November 21, 2013 |access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shsu.edu/~lis_fwh/book/classic_rock_n_roll/Rockabilly2.htm |title=ROCKABILLY Definition |publisher=Shsu.edu |access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> Some have also described it as a blend of [[bluegrass music|bluegrass]] with rock and roll.<ref>The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.</ref> The term "rockabilly" itself is a [[portmanteau]] of "rock" (from "rock 'n' roll") and "[[hillbilly]]", the latter a reference to the country music (often called "[[Hillbilly#Music|hillbilly music]]" in the 1940s and 1950s) that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include [[western swing]], [[boogie-woogie]], [[jump blues]], and [[electric blues]].<ref name=country/>

Defining features of the rockabilly sound included strong rhythms, [[boogie woogie]] piano riffs, vocal [[twang]]s, [[doo-wop]] acapella singing, and common use of the [[tape echo]];<ref name="guitar.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.guitar.com/articles/fundamentals-rockabilly |title=Fundamentals of Rockabilly |publisher=Guitar.com |access-date=May 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706174816/http://www.guitar.com/articles/fundamentals-rockabilly |archive-date=July 6, 2014 }}</ref> but progressive addition of different instruments and vocal harmonies led to its "dilution".<ref name="britannica.com"/> Initially popularized by artists such as [[Carl Perkins]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Johnny Burnette]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], and others, the rockabilly style waned in the late 1950s; nonetheless, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, rockabilly enjoyed a revival. An interest in the genre endures even in the 21st century, often within musical [[subculture]]s. Rockabilly has spawned a variety of sub-styles and has influenced the development of other genres such as [[punk rock]].<ref name="guitar.com"/>

==History==
{{see also|Origins of rock and roll}}
There was a close relationship between [[blues]] and [[country music]] from the very earliest country recordings in the 1920s. The first nationwide country hit was "[[Wreck of the Old 97#Ballad|Wreck of the Old 97]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/ballads/old97song.html|title=Old97song page|publisher=Blueridgeinstitute.org|access-date=May 22, 2014|archive-date=December 6, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206151824/http://blueridgeinstitute.org/ballads/old97song.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/ballads/old97.html|title=Old97 page|publisher=Blueridgeinstitute.org|access-date=May 22, 2014|archive-date=December 9, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209090006/http://www.blueridgeinstitute.org/ballads/old97.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> backed with "The Prisoner's Song", which also became quite popular. [[Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)|Jimmie Rodgers]], the "first true country star", was known as the "Blue Yodeler", and most of his songs used blues-based [[chord progression]]s, although with very different instrumentation and sound from the recordings of his black contemporaries like [[Blind Lemon Jefferson]] and [[Bessie Smith]].<ref>''Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music'' by Greil Marcus 1982 E.P. Dutton p.291</ref>

During the 1930s and 1940s, two new sounds emerged. [[Bob Wills]] and his [[Texas Playboys]] were the leading proponents of [[Western Swing]], which combined country singing and [[steel guitar]] with [[big band]] [[jazz]] influences and [[horn section]]s; Wills's music found massive popularity. Recordings of Wills's from the mid 1940s to the early 1950s include "two beat jazz" rhythms, "jazz choruses", and guitar work that preceded early rockabilly recordings.<ref>''San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills''. Charles R. Townsend. 1976. University of Illinois. Page 289. {{ISBN|0-252-00470-1}}</ref> Wills is quoted as saying "Rock and Roll? Why, man, that's the same kind of music we've been playin' since 1928!... But it's just basic rhythm and has gone by a lot of different names in my time. It's the same, whether you just follow a drum beat like in Africa or surround it with a lot of instruments. The rhythm's what's important."<ref>''San Antonio Rose: The Life and Music of Bob Wills''. Charles R. Townsend. 1976. University of Illinois. Page 269. {{ISBN|0-252-00470-1}}</ref>

After blues artists like [[Meade Lux Lewis]] and [[Pete Johnson (musician)|Pete Johnson]] launched a nationwide [[boogie-woogie (music)|boogie]] craze starting in 1938, country artists like [[Moon Mullican]], the [[Delmore Brothers]], [[Tennessee Ernie Ford]], [[Speedy West]], [[Jimmy Bryant]], and the [[Maddox Brothers and Rose]] began recording what was then known as "hillbilly boogie", which consisted of "hillbilly" vocals and instrumentation with a boogie bass line.<ref name="ReferenceB">''Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock & Roll'' by Nick Tosches 1996 Da Capo Press</ref>

After [[World War II]], The Maddox Brothers and Rose were at "the leading edge of rockabilly with the slapped bass that Fred Maddox had developed".<ref name="Npr.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2003/honkytonks/index.html|title=NPR's series of chronicles on American Music|publisher=Npr.org|access-date=May 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914044731/http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2003/honkytonks/index.html|archive-date=September 14, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="NPR podcast">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/dmg/dmg_wmref.php?prgCode=ME&showDate=15-Aug-2003&segNum=14&mediaPref=WM&sauid=U812704391154009187473&getUnderwriting=1|title=NPR podcast|publisher=Npr.org|access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> They had shifted into higher gear leaning toward a whimsical honky-tonk feel, with a heavy, manic bottom end and high volume.<ref>''Workin' Man Blues: Country Music in California''. Gerald W. Haslan. University of California Press. 1999. Pages 170, 171. {{ISBN|0-520-21800-0}}.</ref> The Maddoxes were known for their lively, antic-filled shows, which were an influential novelty for white listeners and musicians alike.<ref>''Workin' Man Blues: Country Music in California''. Gerald W. Haslan. University of California Press. 1999. Page 170. {{ISBN|0-520-21800-0}}.</ref><ref>''Workin' Man Blues: Country Music in California''. Gerald W. Haslan. University of California Press. 1999. Page 132. {{ISBN|0-520-21800-0}}.</ref>

Along with country, swing and boogie influences, [[jump blues]] artists such as [[Wynonie Harris]] and [[Roy Brown (blues musician)|Roy Brown]], and [[electric blues]] acts such as [[Howlin' Wolf]], [[Junior Parker]], and [[Arthur Crudup]], influenced the development of rockabilly.<ref name=country>Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, ''All Music Guide to Country: The Definitive Guide to Country Music'', [https://books.google.com/books?id=LdxCPLZAExsC&pg=PA912 page 912] {{dead link|date=October 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The [[Memphis blues]] musician Junior Parker and his electric blues band, Little Junior's Blue Flames, featuring [[Pat Hare]] on the guitar, were a major influence on the rockabilly style, particularly with their songs "[[:File:Little Junior's Blue Flames - Love My Baby.ogg|Love My Baby]]" and "[[Mystery Train]]" in 1953.<ref>{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p112422|pure_url=no|label=Junior Parker}}</ref><ref name="gillett1984">{{cite book|last=Gillett|first=Charlie|title=The sound of the city: the rise of rock and roll|year=1984|publisher=[[Pantheon Books]]|location=New York|isbn=0394726383|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lkwUAQAAIAAJ|edition=Rev.|access-date=July 6, 2012|quote="Love My Baby" in particular featured some blistering guitar playing by Pat Hare, which inspired the rockabilly style discussed elsewhere.}}</ref>

[[Zeb Turner]]'s February 1953 recording of "Jersey Rock" with its mix of musical styles, lyrics about music and dancing, and guitar solo,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/t/turn7000.htm|title=RCS page for Zeb Turner|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> is another example of the mixing of musical genres in the first half of the 1950s.

[[Bill Monroe]] is known as the Father of [[Bluegrass music|Bluegrass]], a specific style of country music. Many of his songs were in blues form, while others took the form of folk ballads, parlor songs, or waltzes. Bluegrass was a staple of country music in the early 1950s and is often mentioned as an influence in the development of rockabilly, in part owing to its favoring of fast tempos.<ref>''Bluegrass Breakdown: The Making of the Old Southern Sound'' by Robert Cantwell 1992 Da Capo Press {{ISBN|0-252-07117-4}}</ref>

The [[Honky Tonk]] sound, which "tended to focus on working-class life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness, alcoholism, and self-pity", also included songs of energetic, uptempo Hillbilly Boogie. Some of the better known musicians who recorded and performed these songs are: the [[Delmore Brothers]], the [[Maddox Brothers and Rose]], [[Merle Travis]], [[Hank Williams]], [[Hank Snow]], and Tennessee Ernie Ford.<ref>"The Roots of Rock 'n' Roll 1946–1954" 2004 Universal Music Enterprises</ref>

===Tennessee===
Sharecroppers' sons [[Carl Perkins]] and his brothers Jay and Clayton, along with drummer [[W. S. Holland]], had established themselves as one of the hottest bands on the [[honky-tonk]] circuit around [[Jackson, Tennessee]]. Most of the songs they played were country standards with a faster rhythm.<ref>''The Rockabilly Legends: They Called It Rockabilly Long Before They Called It Rock and Roll'' by Jerry Naylor and Steve Halliday {{ISBN|978-1-4234-2042-2}}</ref> It was here that Carl started composing his first songs. While playing, he would watch the dance floor to see what the audience preferred and adjust his compositions to suit, writing them down only when he was sure they were finished. Carl sent numerous demos to New York record companies with no success; the producers believed the Perkins' style of rhythmically-driven country was not commercially viable. That would change in 1955<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/carlperkins/biography|title=Rolling Stone : Carl Perkins: Biography|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=April 9, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409051922/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/carlperkins/biography|archive-date=April 9, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/CarlPerkins.html|title=RAB Hall of Fame: Carl Perkins|website=Rockabillyhall.com|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> after recording the song "[[Blue Suede Shoes]]" (recorded December 19, 1955) on [[Sam Phillips]]' Memphis-based [[Sun Records]]. Later made more famous by [[Elvis Presley]], Perkins' original version was an early rock 'n' roll standard.<ref name="pc8">{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19756/ |title=Show 8 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 2] |show=8}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.macca-central.com/macca-news/morenews.php?id=1157|title=List new stories MACCA-Central, The Paul McCartney FUNsite|website=Macca-central.com|access-date=August 22, 2015|archive-date=February 13, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213055837/http://www.macca-central.com/macca-news/morenews.php?id=1157|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early 1950s, there was heavy competition among [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] area bands playing an audience-savvy mix of covers, original songs, and hillbilly flavored blues. One source mentions both local disc jockey [[Dewey Phillips]] and producer Sam Phillips as being influential.<ref>''The Blue Moon Boys: The Story of Elvis Presley's Band''. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. Pages 8, 9. {{ISBN|1-55652-614-8}}</ref> An early radio show on [[KWEM-LP|KWEM]] in [[West Memphis, Arkansas]] quickly became a mix of blues, country and early rockabilly.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Paul Burlison|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/PaulBurlison.html|access-date=June 27, 2021|website=www.rockabillyhall.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">Billboard April 3, 1999. "Modern Rockabilly Reaches Back Decades for Its Roots". Page 89.</ref> The Saturday Night Jamboree was a Memphis stage show held every Saturday night at the Goodwyn Institute Auditorium in downtown Memphis, Tennessee from 1953–1954. The Jamboree shows were sometimes broadcast live on KWEM. A number of future notables performed there, including Elvis Presley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kwemradio.com |title=KWEM Radio |publisher=KWEM Radio |access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> The performers often experimented with new sounds in their dressing rooms, incorporating the best ones into their shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/satnightjamboree.html|title=Saturday Night Jamboree - Memphis|website=Rockabillyhall.com|access-date=January 8, 2018|archive-date=December 21, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221071111/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/satnightjamboree.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1951 and 1952, brothers [[Johnny Burnette|Johnny]] and [[Dorsey Burnette]], as well as [[Paul Burlison]], played a blend of blues, country, and rockabilly at live shows in and around the Memphis area.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> in 1953, they played with Doc McQueen's [[Swing (music)|swing]] band at the Hideaway Club for a time. While there, they wrote a song called "Rock Billy Boogie", named after the Burnette brothers' sons Rocky and Billy ([[Rocky Burnette]] later became a rock and roll star in his own right), although they did not record the song until 1957.<ref name="rockabillyhall:PB">{{cite web|title=Paul Burlison|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/PaulBurlison.html|access-date=January 8, 2018|website=Rockabillyhall.com}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Burnettes page on RCS|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/b/burn4200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713011044/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/b/burn4200.htm|archive-date=July 13, 2012}}</ref> The Burnettes disliked the popular music McQueen played, so they began playing smaller shows on their own, focusing on their budding rockabilly sound.<ref name="rockabillyhall:PB" /> The trio released "[[Train Kept A-Rollin']]" in 1956, listed by [[Rolling Stone (magazine)|''Rolling Stone'']] magazine as one of the [[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|top 500 rock songs of all time]]. Many consider this 1956 recording to be the first intentional use of a [[Distortion (music)|distortion]] effect on a rock song, which was played by lead guitarist Paul Burlison.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

===Elvis Presley===
[[File:Elvis Presley promoting Jailhouse Rock.jpg|thumb|upright=0.95|alt=A black and white photograph of Elvis Presley standing between two sets of bars|[[Elvis Presley]] in a promotion shot for ''[[Jailhouse Rock (film)|Jailhouse Rock]]'' in 1957]]

{{Listen
|filename=Thatsallright.ogg
|title=Elvis Presley - "That's All Right" (1954)
|description=[[Elvis Presley]]'s "[[That's All Right]]" (1954), an early rockabilly song. It was a cover of [[Arthur Crudup]]'s 1947 [[blues]] song of the same name.
|pos=right
}}[[Elvis Presley]]'s first recordings took place at Sun Records, a small independent label run by record producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee.<ref name="pc7" /> For several years, Phillips had been recording and releasing performances by blues and country musicians in the area. He also ran a service allowing anyone to come in off the street and for a modest fee, record themselves on a two-song vanity record. One young man who came to record himself as a surprise for his mother, he claimed, was Elvis Presley.<ref>''Newsweek'' August 18, 1997 "Good Rockin' page 54</ref>

Presley made enough of an impression that Phillips deputized guitarist [[Scotty Moore]], who then enlisted bassist [[Bill Black]], both from the Starlight Wranglers, a local western swing band, to work with the young man.<ref name="Good Rockin page 55">''Newsweek'' August 18, 1997 "Good Rockin' page 55</ref> The trio rehearsed dozens of songs, from traditional country to gospel.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 31, 2003|title=The King Finds His Voice|magazine=Time|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004513,00.html|url-status=dead|access-date=May 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012181253/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1004513,00.html|archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref> During a break on July 5, 1954, Elvis started playing "[[That's All Right Mama]]", a 1946 blues song by Arthur Crudup, and Moore and Black joined in. After several takes, Phillips had a satisfactory recording. "That's All Right" was released on July 19, 1954.<ref name="Good Rockin page 55" /><ref>elvis.com</ref>

Presley's version of "That's All Right Mama" melded country, a [[genre]] associated with European-American culture, and rhythm & blues, a genre associated with [[African-American culture]]. The resulting track was denied airplay on both country radio stations and R&B stations for being "too black" and "too white", respectively. Country deejays told Phillips they would be "run out of town" for playing it.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} When the song was finally played by one rogue deejay, Dewey Phillips,<ref name="pc7">{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19754/m1/ |title=Show 7 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1] |show=7}}</ref> Presley's recording created so much excitement it was described as having waged war on segregated radio stations.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

All of Presley's early singles featured a blues song on one side and a country song on the other, both sung in the same genre-blending style.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsnpubs.com |title=Both Sides Now Publications' Home Page |publisher=Bsnpubs.com |access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> Presley's Sun recordings feature his vocals and rhythm guitar, Bill Black's percussive slapped bass, and Scotty Moore on an amplified guitar. [[Slapping (music)|Slap bass]] had been a staple of both [[western swing]] and [[Hillbilly music|hillbilly boogie]] since the 1940s. Scotty Moore described his playing style as an amalgamation of techniques he had picked up from other guitarists over the years.<ref name="ReferenceA">Elvis Presley Classic Albums DVD by Eagle Eye Media EE19007 NTSC Peter Guralnick</ref> Presley's unique musical style rocketed him into the spotlight, and drew masses of followers.<ref>Helen McNamara, June 9, 1956, Issue Saturday Night Magazine</ref>

Nobody was sure what to call Presley's music, so Elvis was described as "The Hillbilly Cat" and "King of Western Bop". Over the next year, Elvis would record four more singles for Sun. Rockabilly recorded by artists prior to Presley can be described as being in the long-standing country style of Rockabilly. Presley's recordings are described by some as quintessential rockabilly for their true union of country and R&B, which can be described as the true realization of the Rockabilly genre. In addition to the fusion of distinct genres, Presley's recordings contain some traditional as well as new traits: "nervously up tempo" (as [[Peter Guralnick]] describes it), with slap bass, fancy guitar picking, much echo, shouts of encouragement, and vocals full of histrionics such as hiccups, stutters, and swoops from falsetto to bass and back again.<ref>Miller, Jim (editor). ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll'' (1976). New York: Rolling Stone Press/Random House. {{ISBN|0-394-40327-4}}. ("Rockabilly," chapter written by Guralnick, Peter. pp. 64–67)</ref><ref>''Sun Records: An Oral History'' by John Floyd 1998 Avon Books p. 29</ref>

In 1955, Elvis asked [[D.J. Fontana]], the drummer for the [[Louisiana Hayride]], to join him for future dates.<ref>''Newsweek'' August 18, 1997 "Good Rockin' page 57</ref> By that time, many rockabilly bands were incorporating drums, which distinguished the sound from country music, where they were then uncommon. In the 1956 sessions shortly after Presley's move from Sun Records to RCA Victor, Presley was backed by a band that included Moore, Black, Fontana, and pianist [[Floyd Cramer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/floyd-cramer|title=Floyd Cramer|website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> In 1956, Elvis also acquired vocal backup via the [[The Jordanaires|Jordanaires]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jordanaires.net/Elvis/tribute.htm|title=Elvis tribute|website=Jordanaires.net|access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref>

===North of the Mason-Dixon Line===
[[File:BillHaley.JPG|thumb|[[Bill Haley and His Comets]] during a TV appearance.]]
{{Listen
|filename=Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around the Clock.ogg
|title=Bill Haley and His Comets - "Rock Around the Clock" (1954)
|description=[[Bill Haley and His Comets]]' "[[Rock Around the Clock]]" (1954) is credited with popularizing rockabilly music.
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}}
In 1951 a [[western swing]] bandleader named [[Bill Haley (musician)|Bill Haley]] recorded a version of "[[Rocket 88]]" with his group, the [[Saddlemen]]. It is considered one of the earliest recognized rockabilly recordings.<ref>''Sh-Boom!: The Explosion of Rock 'n' Roll (1953–1968)''. Clay Cole, David Hinckley. (Bill Haley & the Saddlemen) at the Twin Bar in Gloucester, New Jersey. page 58.</ref> It was followed by versions of "[[Rock the Joint]]" in 1952, and original works such as "Real Rock Drive" and "[[Crazy Man, Crazy]]", the latter of which reached number 12 on the American [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] chart in 1953.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/h/hale6200.htm|title=RCS-Bill Haley's page|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324085101/http://www.rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/h/hale6200.htm|archive-date=March 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>Often excluded from lists of rockabilly groups, Comets guitarist [[Franny Beecher]] said, "They wanted to play a more basic style than I was used to, more country really, they called it rockabilly." in Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll. John Swenson. 1982. Stein and Day. page 60. {{ISBN|0-8128-2909-3}}</ref> On April 12, 1954, Haley, performing with his band as [[Bill Haley and His Comets]], recorded "[[Rock Around the Clock]]" for [[Decca Records]] of New York City. When first released in May 1954, "Rock Around the Clock" made the charts for one week at number 23, and sold 75,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 26, 2007|title=Bill Haley Biography|url=http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Haley,_Bill/Biography/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926220555/http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Haley,_Bill/Biography/|archive-date=September 26, 2007}}</ref> In 1955, it was featured in the film ''[[Blackboard Jungle]]'', resulting in a resurgence of sales.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Melik|first=James|date=May 2, 2004|title=Rock profits and boogie woogie blues|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3622285.stm|access-date=June 27, 2021}}</ref> The song hit No. 1, held that position for eight weeks, and was the number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 1955.<ref name="billboard1955">{{cite web|title=Billboard year end charts 1955|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+Hot+100&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1955|access-date=January 8, 2018|website=Billboard.com}}</ref> The recording was, until the late 1990s, recognized by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' as having the highest sales claim for a pop vinyl recording, with an "unaudited" claim of 25 million copies sold.<ref>{{cite web|title=Rock Around the Clock Tribute|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/RockClockTribute.html|access-date=January 8, 2018|website=Rockabillyhall.com|archive-date=April 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430162450/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/RockClockTribute.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Maine native and Connecticut resident [[Bill Flagg]] began using the term rockabilly for his combination of rock 'n' roll and hillbilly music as early as 1953.<ref name="rockabillyhall.com">{{cite web|title=Bill Flag at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BillFlagg1.html|access-date=January 1, 2009|archive-date=October 6, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006235311/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BillFlagg1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He cut several songs for Tetra Records in 1956 and 1957.<ref>{{cite web|title=RCS - Bill Flag page|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/f/flag1000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714195012/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/f/flag1000.htm|archive-date=July 14, 2012}}</ref> "Go Cat Go" went into the National Billboard charts in 1956, and his "Guitar Rock" is cited as classic rockabilly.<ref name="rockabillyhall.com" />

In 1953, 13-year-old [[Janis Martin]] was performing at the Old Dominion Barn Dance on [[WRVA (AM)|WRVA]] out of Richmond, Virginia.<ref>[http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/exhibits/radio/wrva.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103084500/http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/exhibits/radio/wrva.htm|date=January 3, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=WRVA Old Dominion Barn Dance|url=http://www.hillbilly-music.com/programs/story/index.php?prog=300|access-date=May 22, 2014|publisher=hillbilly-music.com}}</ref> Martin performed a mix of country songs for the show peppered with [[rhythm and blues]] hits in a style that has been described as "proto-rockabilly".<ref name=":3" /> She later stated, "the audience didn't know what to make of it. They didn't hardly allow electric instruments, and I was doing some songs by black artists."<ref name=":3">{{cite web|title=Janis Martin - Rockabilly Central|url=http://www.rockabilly.net/articles/janis.shtml|access-date=May 22, 2014|publisher=Rockabilly.net}}</ref>

===Cash, Perkins and Presley===
In 1954, both [[Johnny Cash]] and [[Carl Perkins]] auditioned for [[Sam Phillips]]. Cash hoped to record gospel music, but Phillips was not interested. In October 1954, Carl Perkins recorded Perkins's original song "[[Movie Magg]]", which was released in March 1955 on Phillips's all-country label Flip.<ref>{{cite web|title=RCS - Flip label page|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/labels/f/f461.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713180341/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/labels/f/f461.htm|archive-date=July 13, 2012|access-date=May 22, 2014|publisher=Rcs-discography.com}}</ref> Cash returned to Sun in 1955 with his song "[[Hey, Porter]]", and his group the Tennessee Two, consisting of [[Marshall Grant]] on bass, and [[Luther Perkins]] (no relation to Carl Perkins) on lead guitar. This song and another Cash original, ''[[Cry! Cry! Cry!]]'' were released in July.<ref>{{cite web|title=RCS - Johnny Cash page|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/c/cash3600.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316184646/http://www.rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/c/cash3600.htm|archive-date=March 16, 2010|access-date=May 22, 2014|publisher=Rcs-discography.com}}</ref> ''Cry! Cry! Cry!'' managed to crack Billboard's Top 20, peaking at No. 14.<ref>{{cite web|title=Johnny Cash biography|url=http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/cash_johnny/bio.jhtml|access-date=January 8, 2018|website=Cmt.com}}</ref>

Presley's second and third singles were not as successful as his first.<ref>Elvis Presley Classic Albums DVD by Eagle Eye Media EE19007 NTSC Ernst Jorgenen Historian and RCA producer</ref> His fourth release, "Baby, Let's Play House", was released in May 1955, and peaked at number five on the national Billboard Country Chart.<ref name=elviscomau>{{cite web|url=http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/elvis_presley_sun_recordings.shtml|title=Elvis Presley: How Sun Records boss Sam Phillips discovered a star in 1954 - Elvis Biography|website=Elvis.com.au|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> In August, Sun released Elvis's versions of "[[I Forgot to Remember to Forget]]" and "Mystery Train". "Remember to Forget" spent a total of 39 weeks on the Billboard Country Chart, five at the number one spot. "Mystery Train", peaked at number 11.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Through most of 1955, Cash, Perkins, Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride performers toured through Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. Sun released two more Perkins songs in October: "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "Let the Jukebox Keep on Playing".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/p/perk1000.htm|title=RCS-Carl Perkins page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717234900/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/p/perk1000.htm|archive-date=July 17, 2012}}</ref> Perkins and Presley in particular competed as the premier rockabilly artists.<ref>''The Blue Moon Boys: The Story of Elvis Presley's Band''. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. page 88. {{ISBN|1-55652-614-8}}</ref>

1955 was also the year in which [[Chuck Berry]]'s hillbilly-influenced single "[[Maybellene]]" reached high in the charts as a crossover hit, and [[Bill Haley & His Comets|Bill Haley and His Comets]]' "Rock Around the Clock" was not only number one for eight weeks, but was the number two record for the year.<ref name="billboard1955" /> Rock and roll in general, and rockabilly in particular, was at [[Critical mass (sociodynamics)|critical mass]] and the next year, Elvis Presley's ''Heartbreak Hotel'' and ''Don't Be Cruel'' would top the Billboard Charts as well.<ref name="billboard1956">{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+Hot+100&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1956|title=Billboard year end charts 1956|website=Billboard.com|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref>

===Rockabilly goes national: 1956===
In January 1956, three now-classic rockabilly songs were released: "[[Folsom Prison Blues]]" by Johnny Cash, and "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins, both on Sun; and "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]" by Elvis Presley on RCA Victor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.atomicplatters.com/more.php?id=75_0_1_80_M|title=CONELRAD - ATOMIC PLATTERS: Uranium by The Commodores [1955]|website=Atomicplatters.com|access-date=January 8, 2018|archive-date=June 7, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607135029/http://www.atomicplatters.com/more.php?id=75_0_1_80_M|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://globaldogproductions.info|title=50s,60s discographies|publisher=Globaldogproductions.info|access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> Perkins's "Blue Suede Shoes" sold 20,000 records a day at one point, and it was the first million-selling country song to cross over to both rhythm and blues and pop charts.<ref name="NPR story on Blue Suede Shoes">{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1070070|title=The Story Of 'Blue Suede Shoes'|website=Npr.org|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> Perkins first performed "Blue Suede Shoes" on television March 17 on ''[[Ozark Jubilee]]'', a weekly ABC-TV program. From 1955 to 1960, the live national radio and TV show from [[Springfield, Missouri]] featured [[Brenda Lee]] and [[Wanda Jackson]] and guests included [[Gene Vincent]] and other rockabilly artists.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} On February 11, Presley appeared on the Dorsey Brothers' ''[[Stage Show]]'' for the third time, singing "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel". Both songs topped the ''Billboard'' charts.<ref name="billboard1956" />

Sun and RCA were not the only record labels releasing rockabilly music in 1956. In March Columbia released "[[Honky Tonk Man (song)|Honky Tonk Man]]" by [[Johnny Horton]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/h/hort1000.htm|title=RCS-Johny Horton page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315204756/http://www.rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/h/hort1000.htm|archive-date=March 15, 2010}}</ref> King put out "Seven Nights to Rock" by Moon Mullican, Mercury issued "Rockin' Daddy" by [[Eddie Bond]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/b/bond1000.htm|title=RCS - Eddie Bond page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317113514/http://www.rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/b/bond1000.htm|archive-date=March 17, 2010}}</ref> and Starday released [[Bill Mack (songwriter)|Bill Mack]]'s "Fat Woman".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/m/mack1000.htm|title=RCS - Bill Mack page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Two young men from Texas made their record debuts in April 1956: [[Buddy Holly]] on the Decca label, and, as a member of the Teen Kings, [[Roy Orbison]] with "Ooby Dooby" on the New Mexico/Texas based Je-wel label.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/labels/j/j624.htm|title=RCS - Je-wel label page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Holly's big hits would not be released until 1957. Janis Martin was only fifteen years old when RCA issued a record with "Will You, Willyum" and the Martin-composed "Drugstore Rock 'n' Roll", which sold over 750,000 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabilly.net/articles/janis.shtml|title=Janis Martin - Rockabilly Central|website=Rockabilly.net|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> King records issued a new disk by forty-seven-year-old Moon Mullican: "[[Seven Nights to Rock]]" and "Rock 'N' Roll Mr. Bullfrog". Twenty more sides were issued by various labels including 4 Star, Blue Hen, Dot, Cold Bond, Mercury, Reject, Republic, Rodeo, and Starday.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/search.php?type=date&key=Apr.&key2=1956|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203060141/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/search.php?type=date&key=Apr.&key2=1956|url-status=dead|title=RCS Search Results|date=December 3, 2012|archive-date=December 3, 2012|website=Archive.is|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref>

In April and May 1956, [[The Rock and Roll Trio]] played on [[Ted Mack (television host)|Ted Mack]]'s [[Original Amateur Hour|TV talent show]] in New York City. They won all three times and guaranteed them a finalist position in the September supershow.<ref name=rockabillyhall:PB/> Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps' recording of "[[Be-Bop-A-Lula]]" was released on June 2, 1956, backed by "Woman Love". Within twenty-one days it sold over two hundred thousand records, stayed at the top of national pop and country charts for twenty weeks, and sold more than a million copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/v/vinc5000.htm|title=RCS - Gene Vincent page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100326065652/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/v/vinc5000.htm|archive-date=March 26, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/pics/d04/4404.htm|title=RCS - pics of Gene Vincent recordings|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>The Rockabilly Legends; They Called It Rockabilly Long Before they Called It Rock and Roll by Jerry Naylor and Steve Halliday page 220 {{ISBN|978-1-4234-2042-2}}</ref> These same musicians would have two more releases in 1956, followed by another in January 1957. "Queen of Rockabilly" Wanda Jackson's first record came out in July, "I Gotta Know" on the Capitol label; followed by "Hot Dog That Made Him Mad" in November. Capitol would release nine more records by Jackson, some with songs she had written herself, before the 1950s were over.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/mar/jackson/|title=NPR : Wanda Jackson, Rockabilly Queen|website=[[NPR]]|date=February 21, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030221041151/http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/mar/jackson/|archive-date=February 21, 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/j/jack7000.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120713131548/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/j/jack7000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2012|title=RCS - Wanda Jackson page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> The first record by [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], who would later be known as a pioneer of rockabilly and rock and roll, came out on December 22, 1956, and featured his version of "[[Crazy Arms]]" and "End of the Road".<ref>[http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/pics/d02/2539.htm]{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Lewis would have big hits in 1957 with his version of "[[Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On]]", issued in May, and "[[Great Balls Of Fire]]" on Sun.<ref name="pc8" /><ref>[http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/pics/d02/2540.htm]{{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===Late 1950s and beyond ===
There were thousands of musicians who recorded songs in the rockabilly style, and many record companies released rockabilly records.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/index.htm|title=RCS front page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312074642/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/index.htm|archive-date=March 12, 2010}}</ref> Some enjoyed major chart success and were important influences on future rock musicians.

Sun also hosted performers, such as [[Billy Lee Riley]], [[Sonny Burgess]], [[Charlie Feathers]], and [[Warren Smith (singer)|Warren Smith]]. There were also several female performers like Wanda Jackson who recorded rockabilly music long after the other ladies, Janis Martin, the female Elvis [[Jo Ann Campbell]], and [[Alis Lesley]], who also sang in the rockabilly style. Mel Kimbrough -"Slim", recorded "I Get Lonesome Too"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/k/kimb5000.htm|title=RCS - Mel Kimbrough page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100310195903/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/k/kimb5000.htm|archive-date=March 10, 2010}}</ref> and "Ha Ha, Hey Hey" for Glenn Records along with "Love in West Virginia" and "Country Rock Sound" for Checkmate a division of Caprice Records.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seabear.se/Check-Mate.html|title=Check-Mate|website=Seabear.se|access-date=August 22, 2015}}</ref>

[[Gene Summers]], a Dallas native and [[Rockabilly Hall of Fame]] inductee, released his classic Jan/Jane 45s in 1958–59. He continued to record rockabilly music well into 1964 with the release of "Alabama Shake".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/s/summ1000.htm|title=RCS - Gene Summers page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629234000/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/s/summ1000.htm|archive-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref> In 2005, Summers's most popular recording, ''[[School of Rock 'n Roll]]'', was selected by Bob Solly and [[Record Collector]] Magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Records".<ref>Solly, Bob. (2005). ''100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Records''. Diamond Publishing Company LTD, UK. {{ISSN|1746-8051}}-02. UPC 9-771746805006.</ref>

Tommy "[[Sleepy LaBeef]]" LaBeff recorded rockabilly tunes on a number of labels from 1957 through 1963.<ref name="variety">{{Cite web|last=Willman|first=Chris|date=December 26, 2019|title=Sleepy LaBeef, Enduring Rockabilly Cult Hero, Dies at 84|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/sleepy-labeef-dead-dies-rockabilly-singer-1203452304/|access-date=December 27, 2019|website=Variety}}</ref> Rockabilly pioneers the Maddox Brothers and Rose continued to record for decades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/m/madd6200.htm|title=RCS - Maddox Brothers page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719051433/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/m/madd6200.htm|archive-date=July 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artists/m/madd4900.htm|title=RCS - Rose Maddox page|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> However, none of these artists had any major hits and their influence would not be felt until decades later.<ref>Morrison, Craig. ''Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and its Makers''. (1996). Illinois. University of Illinois Press. {{ISBN|0-252-06538-7}}</ref>

In the summer of 1958 [[Eddie Cochran]] had a chart-topping hit with "[[Summertime Blues]]". Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "Sitting in the Balcony" released in early 1957, "[[C'mon Everybody]]" released in October 1958, and "[[Somethin' Else (Eddie Cochran song)|Somethin' Else]]" released in July 1959. Then in April 1960, while touring with Gene Vincent in the UK, their taxi crashed into a concrete lamp post, killing Eddie at the young age of 21. The grim coincidence in this all was that his posthumous UK number-one hit was called "[[Three Steps to Heaven (song)|Three Steps to Heaven]]".

Rockabilly music enjoyed great popularity in the United States during 1956 and 1957, but radio play declined after 1960. Factors contributing to this decline are usually cited as the 1959 death of [[Buddy Holly]] in an airplane crash (along with [[Ritchie Valens]] and [[the Big Bopper]]), the induction of Elvis Presley into the [[United States Army|army]] in 1958, and a general change in American musical tastes. The style remained popular longer in England, where it attracted a fanatical following right up through the mid-1960s.

Rockabilly music cultivated an attitude that assured its enduring appeal to teenagers. This was a combination of rebellion, sexuality, and freedom—a sneering expression of disdain for the workaday world of parents and authority figures. It was the first rock 'n' roll style to be performed primarily by white musicians, thus setting off a cultural revolution that is still reverberating today.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rockabilly|url=http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:187|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012181526/http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:187|archive-date=October 12, 2007|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>''Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music'' by Greil Marcus 1982 E.P. Dutton pp. 154–156, 169</ref> "Rockabilly" deviance from social norms, however, was more symbolic than real; and eventual public professions of faith by aging rockabillies were not uncommon.<ref>''Don't Get Above Your Raisin'', p. 79, Bill C. Malone, 2002, [[University of Illinois Press]], {{ISBN|0-252-02678-0}}</ref>

==Use of the term "rockabilly"==
Early rockabilly singer [[Barbara Pittman]] told [[Experience Music Project]] that "Rockabilly was actually an insult to the southern rockers at that time. Over the years it has picked up a little dignity. It was their way of calling us 'hillbillies'."{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}

One of the first written uses of the term ''rockabilly'' was in a press release describing [[Gene Vincent]]'s "Be-Bop-A-Lula".<ref>''Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers''. Craig Morrison. 1996. University of Illinois Press. page 3.</ref> Three weeks later, it was also used in a June 23, 1956, ''Billboard'' review of Ruckus Tyler's "Rock Town Rock".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.billybop.be/styles/rockabilly/RRDefinition.asp |title=Definition |publisher=Billybop.be |access-date=May 22, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The first record to contain the word ''rockabilly'' in a song title was "Rock a Billy Gal", issued in November 1956.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/titles/r/ro.htm|title=RCS database|publisher=Rcs-discography.com|access-date=May 22, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218055004/http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/titles/r/ro.htm|archive-date=February 18, 2010}}</ref> The Burnette brothers had been playing a song called "Rock Billy Boogie" since 1953, but did not record or release it until 1956 and 1957, respectively.<ref name="rockabillyhall:PB" /><ref name=":2" />

==Characteristic sound and techniques==
Some effects and techniques strongly associated with rockabilly as a style include slapback, [[slapback echo]], [[Wow and flutter measurement#Equipment performance|flutter echo]], [[Tape delay (audio effect)|tape delay echo]], [[Echo chamber|echo]], and [[Reverberation unit|reverb]].

The distinctive reverberation on the early hit records such as "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets was created by recording the band under the domed ceiling of Decca's studio in New York, located in an echoing former ballroom called The Pythian Temple. This same studio would also be used to record other rockabilly musicians such as Buddy Holly and The Rock and Roll Trio.<ref name=rockabillyhall:PB/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddyhollycenter.org/gallery/timeline.aspx|title=Home|website=Buddyhollycenter.org|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref> Memphis Recording Services Studio, where Sam Phillips recorded, had a sloped ceiling covered with corrugated tiles. This created some of the desired resonance, but Phillips used technical methods to create additional echo: the original signal from one tape machine was fed through a second machine with a split-second delay.<ref>''The Blue Moon Boys: The Story of Elvis Presley's Band''. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. Page 39. {{ISBN|1-55652-614-8}}</ref><ref name="Rock 1977. page 58" /> The echo effect was noticeable on [[Wilf Carter (musician)|Wilf Carter]] records from the 1930s and in [[Eddy Arnold]]'s "Cattle Call" (1945).<ref name="Rock 1977. page 58">''Country: The Twisted Roots of Rock 'n' Roll''. Nick Tosches. 1977. 1985. DeCapo Press. Page 58. {{ISBN|0-306-80713-0}}</ref> When Elvis Presley left Phillips' Sun Records and recorded "Heartbreak Hotel" for [[RCA]], the RCA producers placed microphones at the end of a hallway to achieve a similar effect.{{Citation needed|date=July 2021}} The echoing sound created the impression of a live show.<ref>Rock & Roll: An Unruly History (1995) Robert Palmer page 202 {{ISBN|0-517-70050-6}}</ref>

In comparison to country songs, rockabilly songs generally have simplified form, lyrics, chord progressions and arrangements, faster tempos, and amplified percussion. There is greater variability in lyrics and melodies, and the singing style is more flamboyant.<ref name=":4">''Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers''. Craig Morrison. 1952. University of Illinois Press. page 30. {{ISBN|0-252-06538-7}}</ref> Compared to rhythm and blues, fewer instruments are used, but percussion is amplified to fill in the sound. The singing style is less smooth and mannered.<ref name=":4" />

==Influence on the Beatles and the British Invasion==
The first wave of rockabilly fans in the United Kingdom were called [[Teddy Boy]]s because they wore long, [[Edwardian period|Edwardian]]-style [[frock coat]]s, along with tight black drainpipe [[trousers]] and [[brothel creeper]] shoes. Another group in the 1950s that were followers of rockabilly were the Ton-Up boys, who rode British motorcycles and would later be known as [[Rocker (subculture)|rockers]] in the early 1960s. The rockers had adopted the classic [[Greaser (subculture)|greaser]] look of [[T-shirt]]s, jeans, and leather jackets to go with their heavily slicked [[Pompadour (hairstyle)|pompadour]] haircuts. The rockers loved 1950s [[rock and roll]] artists such as Gene Vincent, and some British rockabilly fans formed bands and played their own version of the music.

The most notable of these bands was [[The Beatles]]. When [[John Lennon]] first met [[Paul McCartney]], he was impressed that McCartney knew all the chords and the words to Eddie Cochran's "[[Twenty Flight Rock]]". As the band became more professional and began playing in Hamburg, they took on the "Beatle" name (inspired by Buddy Holly's band [[The Crickets]]<ref>Miles, Barry, ''Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now'', Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1997 p. 52</ref>) and they adopted the black leather look of Gene Vincent. Musically, they combined Holly's melodic songwriting sensibility with the rough rock and roll sound of Vincent and Carl Perkins. When The Beatles became worldwide stars, they released versions of three different Carl Perkins songs, more than any other songwriter outside the band, except [[Larry Williams]], who also added three songs to their discography.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/covers3.shtml |title=Alan W. Pollack's Notes on the cover songs on the "Beatles For Sale" album |publisher=Icce.rug.nl |access-date=May 22, 2014}}</ref> (Curiously, none of these three were sung by the Beatles' regular lead vocalists—"Honey Don't" (sung by Ringo) and "Everybody's Trying to be my Baby" (sung by George) from ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'' (1964) and "Matchbox" (sung by Ringo) on the ''Long Tall Sally'' EP (1964)).

Long after the band broke up, the members continued to show their interest in rockabilly. In 1975, Lennon recorded an album called ''[[Rock 'n' Roll (John Lennon album)|Rock 'n' Roll]]'', featuring versions of rockabilly hits and a cover photo showing him in full Gene Vincent leather. About the same time, [[Ringo Starr]] had a hit with a version of Johnny Burnette's "[[You're Sixteen]]". In the 1980s, McCartney recorded a duet with Carl Perkins, and [[George Harrison]] collaborated with Roy Orbison in the [[Traveling Wilburys]]. In 1999, McCartney released ''[[Run Devil Run (album)|Run Devil Run]]'', his own record of rockabilly covers.<ref>''Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation'' by Phillip Norman 1981 MJF Books</ref>

The Beatles were not the only [[British Invasion]] artists influenced by rockabilly. The Rolling Stones recorded Buddy Holly's "[[Not Fade Away (song)|Not Fade Away]]" on an early single and later a rockabilly-style song, "[[Rip This Joint]]", on ''[[Exile on Main St.]]'' [[The Who]], despite being [[Mod (subculture)|mod]] favorites, covered Eddie Cochran's "[[Summertime Blues]]" and [[Johnny Kidd and The Pirates]]' [[Shakin' All Over]] on their ''[[Live at Leeds]]'' album. Even heavy guitar heroes such as [[Jeff Beck]] and [[Jimmy Page]] were influenced by rockabilly musicians. Beck recorded his own tribute album to Gene Vincent's guitarist [[Cliff Gallup]]—''[[Crazy Legs (album)|Crazy Legs]]''—and Page's band, [[Led Zeppelin]], offered to work as Elvis Presley's backing band in the 1970s. However, Presley never took them up on that offer.<ref>''Elvis: The Illustrated Record'' by Roy Carr and Mick Farren 1982 Harmony Books p. 160</ref> Years later, Led Zeppelin's Page and [[Robert Plant]] recorded a tribute to the music of the 1950s called ''[[The Honeydrippers: Volume One]].''{{citation needed|date=July 2010}}

==Rockabilly revival: 1970–1990==
The 1968 Elvis "comeback" and acts such as [[Sha Na Na]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], [[Don McLean]], [[Linda Ronstadt]] and the [[Everly Brothers]], the film ''[[American Graffiti]]'', the television show ''[[Happy Days]]'' and the Teddy Boy revival created curiosity about the real music of the 1950s, particularly in England, where a rockabilly revival scene began to develop from the 1970s in record collecting and clubs.<ref name="Mystery Train pp. 147">''Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock 'n' Roll Music'' by Greil Marcus 1982 E.P. Dutton pp. 147–150</ref><ref name="Rockabilly pp. 157">''Rockabilly: A Forty Year Journey'' by Billy Poore 1998 Hal Leonard Publishing pp. 157–79.</ref> The most successful early product of the scene was [[Dave Edmunds]], who joined up with songwriter [[Nick Lowe]] to form a band called [[Rockpile]] in 1975.  They had a string of minor rockabilly-style hits like "[[I Knew the Bride|I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll)]]". The group became a popular touring act in the UK and the US, leading to respectable album sales.  Edmunds also nurtured and produced many younger artists who shared his love of rockabilly, most notably the [[Stray Cats]].<ref>Miller, Jim (editor). ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll''. (1976). New York: Rolling Stone Press/Random House. {{ISBN|0-394-40327-4}}. pp. 437–8.</ref>

[[Robert Gordon (musician)|Robert Gordon]] emerged from late 1970s [[CBGB]] punk act [[Tuff Darts]] to reinvent himself as a rockabilly revival solo artist.  He recorded first with 1950s guitar legend [[Link Wray]] and later with UK studio guitar veteran [[Chris Spedding]] and found borderline mainstream success.  Also festering at CBGB's punk environs were [[The Cramps]], who combined primitive and wild rockabilly sounds with lyrics inspired by old drive-in horror movies in songs like "Human Fly" and "I Was a Teenage Werewolf". Lead singer [[Lux Interior]]'s energetic and unpredictable live shows attracted a fervent cult audience.  Their "[[psychobilly]]" music influenced [[The Meteors]] and [[Reverend Horton Heat]]. In the early '80s, the Latin genre was born in Colombia by [[Marco T]] (Marco Tulio Sanchez), with The Gatos Montañeros.<ref>''The Rolling Stone Review 1985'' Edited by Ira Robbins 1985 Rolling Stone Press/Charles Scribner's Sons New York p. 89.</ref> [[The Polecats]], from North London, were originally called The Cult Heroes; they could not get any gigs at rockabilly clubs with a name that sounded "punk", so the original drummer Chris Hawkes came up with the name "Polecats". Tim Polecat and [[Boz Boorer]] started playing together in 1976, then hooked up with Phil Bloomberg and Chris Hawkes at the end of 1977.  The Polecats played rockabilly with a punk sense of anarchy and helped revive the genre for a new generation in the early 1980s.
[[File:Teddy-et-the-Tigers-1978.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Teddy & The Tigers, a Finnish rockabilly band from [[Kerava]], pictured in [[Helsinki]], 1978]] [[The Blasters]], who emerged from the Los Angeles punk scene, included rockabilly among their roots rock influences. The song "[[Marie Marie]]", first appearing on their 1980 debut album [[American Music (album)|American Music]], would later become a breakthrough hit for [[Shakin' Stevens]].

Also in 1980, [[Queen (band)|Queen]] scored a number-one hit on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] with the rockabilly-inspired single "[[Crazy Little Thing Called Love]]".<ref name="Circus">[http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/interviews/queen/circus-1980/ Lights! Action! Sound! It's That Crazy Little Thing Called Queen] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918005411/http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/interviews/queen/circus-1980/ |date=September 18, 2016 }} ''Circus Magazine''. Retrieved June 29, 2011</ref>

[[The Stray Cats]] were the most commercially successful of the new rockabilly artists. The band formed on Long Island in 1979 when [[Brian Setzer]] teamed up with two school chums calling themselves [[Lee Rocker]] and [[Slim Jim Phantom]]. Attracting little attention in New York, they flew to London in 1980, where they had heard that there was an active rockabilly scene. Early shows were attended by [[the Rolling Stones]] and Dave Edmunds, who quickly ushered the boys into a recording studio. The Stray Cats had three UK Top Ten singles to their credit and two bestselling albums. They returned to the US, performing on the TV show ''[[Fridays (TV series)|Fridays]]'' with a message flashing across the screen that they had no record deal in the States.

Soon [[EMI]] picked them up, their first videos appeared on MTV, and they stormed up the charts stateside. Their third LP, ''Rant 'N' Rave with the Stray Cats'', topped charts across the US and Europe as they sold-out shows everywhere during 1983. However, personal conflicts led the band to break up at the height of their popularity. Brian Setzer went on to solo success working in both rockabilly and swing styles, while Rocker and Phantom continued to record in bands both together and singly. The group has reconvened several times to make new records or tours and continue to attract large audiences live, although record sales have never again approached their early '80s success.<ref>''Rockabilly: A Forty Year Journey'' by Billy Poore 1998 Hal Leonard Publishing pp. 223–6.</ref>

The Jime<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vince-gordon.com/|title=Tribute page for rockabilly guitarist Vince Gordon, his rockabilly music, the jime|website=Vince Gordon|language=en-US|access-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref> entered the rockabilly scene in 1983, when Vince Gordon formed his band. The Jime<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockabilly.nl/default.htm|title=BlackCat Rockabilly Europe|website=www.rockabilly.nl|access-date=February 14, 2020}}</ref> was a Danish Band. The Jime was the band of Vince Gordon, rockabilly guitarist. Not only was he the nerve of the band, Vince Gordon was the band. He composed nearly all its songs and hits.  Vince Gordon also left his mark on the rockabilly scene in many ways. Expert Fred Sokolow<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sokolow, Fred.|title=Great rockabilly guitar solos|date=1988|publisher=MPL Communications and H. Leonard|oclc=22269063}}</ref> talks about the Vince Gordon style in Rockabilly due to his composing.  Vince Gordon had many different musicians in his band. The lifetime of the Jime ended with the death of Vince Gordon in 2016.

[[Shakin' Stevens]] was a [[Wales|Welsh]] singer who gained fame in the UK portraying Elvis in a stage play. In 1980, he took a cover of [[The Blasters]]' "Marie Marie" into the UK Top 20. His hopped-up versions of songs like "[[This Ole House]]" and "[[Green Door]]" were giant sellers across Europe. Shakin' Stevens was the biggest selling singles artist of the 1980s in the UK (with four number ones in the singles chart)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/50482/shakin-stevens/|title = SHAKIN STEVENS &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company|website = [[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref> and number two across Europe, outstripping [[Michael Jackson]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], and [[Bruce Springsteen]]. Unlike The Stray Cats, who became successful due in part to MTV, Shakin' Stevens' success was initially due to him appearing on various children's television shows in Britain.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/nov/18/shakin-stevens-interview-rock-n-roll-elvis-musical-chart-success|title = Shakin' Stevens: 'I was over the moon playing Elvis. The first time I got a regular wage'|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = November 18, 2020}}</ref> Despite his popularity in Europe, he never became a big success in the US. In 2005, his greatest hits album ''The Collection'' reached number four in the British albums chart, and was released as a tie-in to his appearance on ITV entertainment show ''[[Hit Me, Baby, One More Time (TV series)|Hit Me, Baby, One More Time]]'', going on to become the winner of the series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/20050417/7502/|title = Official Albums Chart Top 100 &#124; Official Charts Company|website = [[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/20050424/7502/|title = Official Albums Chart Top 100 &#124; Official Charts Company|website = [[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref><ref>''Rockabilly: A Forty Year Journey'' by Billy Poore 1998 Hal Leonard Publishing pp. 176–8.</ref> Other notable British rockabilly bands of the 1980s included [[the Jets (British band)|The Jets]], [[Crazy Cavan]], [[Matchbox (band)|Matchbox]], and [[the Rockats]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qAHvUO5GknMC&q=levi+dexter+rockats&pg=PA238 |title=Go Cat Go!: Rockabilly Music and Its Makers - Craig Morrison - Google Books |access-date=May 22, 2014|isbn=9780252065385 |last1=Morrison |first1=Craig |year=1996 |publisher=University of Illinois Press }}</ref>

[[Jason & the Scorchers]] combined [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], Chuck Berry and Hank Williams to create a punk-influenced style of rockabilly, often labeled as [[alt-country]] or [[cowpunk]]. They achieved critical acclaim and a following in America but never managed a major hit.<ref>I. Robbins, ''The Rolling Stone Review 1985'' (Rolling Stone Press/Charles Scribner's Sons New York, 1985), pp. 193–4.</ref>

The revival was related to the "[[roots rock]]" movement, which continued through the 1980s, led by artists like [[James Intveld]], who later toured as lead guitar for The Blasters, [[High Noon]], the [[Beat Farmers]], [[The Paladins]], [[Forbidden Pigs]], Del-Lords, Long Ryders, The Last Wild Sons, [[The Fabulous Thunderbirds]], [[Los Lobos]], [[The Fleshtones]], [[Del Fuegos]], Reverend Horton Heat and [[Barrence Whitfield|Barrence Whitfield and the Savages]]. These bands, like the Blasters, were inspired by a full range of historic American styles: blues, country, rockabilly, R&B and New Orleans jazz. They held a strong appeal for listeners who were tired of the commercially oriented MTV-style [[synthpop]] and [[glam metal]] bands that dominated radio play during this time period, but none of these musicians became major stars.<ref>I. Robbins, ''The Rolling Stone Review 1985'' (Rolling Stone Press/Charles Scribner's Sons New York, 1985) pp. 172–5.</ref>

In 1983, [[Neil Young]] recorded a rockabilly album titled ''[[Everybody's Rockin']]''. The album was not a commercial success{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} and Young was involved in a widely publicized legal fight with [[Geffen Records]] who sued him for making a record that did not sound "like a Neil Young record".{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} Young made no further albums in the rockabilly style.<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580492/Neil_Young.html Neil Young – MSN Encarta<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031074801/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580492/Neil_Young.html |date=October 31, 2009 }}</ref> During the 1980s, a number of country music stars scored hits recording in a rockabilly style. [[Marty Stuart]]'s "[[Hillbilly Rock (song)|Hillbilly Rock]]" and [[Hank Williams, Jr.]]'s "[[All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight]]" were the most noteworthy examples of this trend, but they and other artists like [[Steve Earle]] and the [[Kentucky Headhunters]] charted many records with this approach.<ref>W. Poore, ''Rockabilly: A Forty Year Journey'' (Hal Leonard Publishing, 1998), pp. 267–70.</ref>

==Neo-rockabilly (1990–present)==
[[File:Rockabilly dancers in yoyogipark 2016 05 08.webm|thumb|Rockabilly dancers in [[Japan]], 2016]]

While not true rockabilly, many contemporary [[indie pop]], [[blues rock]], and [[country rock]] groups from the US, like [[Kings of Leon]], [[Black Keys]], [[Blackfoot (band)|Blackfoot]], and the [[White Stripes]],<ref name="Jack White interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1068453,00.html|title=Get Behind Me Satan - EW.com|work=Entertainment Weekly's EW.com|access-date=August 22, 2015|archive-date=December 25, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225075757/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1068453,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> were heavily influenced by rockabilly.<ref name="Jack Whites many sides">{{cite web|url=http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/music/features/20878-jack-whites-many-sides|title=Jack White's Many Sides|author=Jessica Misener|date=March 16, 2010|work=RELEVANT Magazine|access-date=August 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323001643/http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/music/features/20878-jack-whites-many-sides|archive-date=March 23, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[The Smiths]] incorporated rockabilly influences in songs such as "[[Meat Is Murder|Nowhere Fast]]", "[[Shakespeare's Sister (song)|Shakespeare's Sister]]" and "[[Vicar in a Tutu]]". The style also influenced their look towards the end of their 5 year existence in the 1980s. [[Morrissey]] also adopted a rockabilly style during the early 1990s, being largely influenced by his guitarists Boz Boorer and [[Alain Whyte]] and working with former [[Fairground Attraction]] bass-guitarist and songwriter [[Mark E. Nevin]].{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} His rockabilly style was emphasised in the singles "[[Pregnant for the Last Time]]" and "[[Sing Your Life]]", as well as his second solo album and tour ''[[Kill Uncle]]''.

Irish rockabilly artist [[Imelda May]] has been partly responsible for a resurgence of European interest in the genre, scoring three successive number one albums in Ireland, with two of those also reaching the top ten in the UK charts.

UK artist [[Jimmy Ray]] incorporated themes and aesthetics of rockabilly music into his image as well as his 1998 hit, [[Are You Jimmy Ray?]], which Ray described as "[[Pop music|pop]]abilly [[Hip hop music|hip hop]]".<ref name="LAT15421">{{cite web |last1=Crowe |first1=Jerry |title=Looking for Respect |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-25-ca-32380-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |date=March 25, 1998 |access-date=April 15, 2021}}</ref>

Singer-songwriter and actor [[Drake Bell]] recorded an album of rockabilly covers, ''[[Ready Steady Go! (album)|Ready Steady Go!]]'', in 2014. The album was produced by Brian Setzer, frontman of the rockabilly revival band The Stray Cats. The album sold over 2,000 copies in its first week of release, peaking at #182 on the [[Billboard 200]], and received positive reviews from critics.

Neo-rockabilly UK band [[Restless (band)|Restless]], have played neo-rockabilly since the early 1980s. The style was to mix any popular music to a rockabilly set up, drums, slap bass and guitar. This was followed by many other artists at the time in London. Today, bands like Lower The Tone are more aligned to neo-rockabilly that suits popular music venues instead of the dedicated rockabilly clubs that expect only original rockabilly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/restless.html|title=RAB Hall of Fame: Restless|website=Rockabillyhallhall.com|access-date=August 22, 2015|archive-date=December 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203182509/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/Restless.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lowerthetone.biz/|title=Lower The Tone|website=Lowerthetone.biz|access-date=August 22, 2015}}</ref>

==Rockabilly Hall of Fame==
The original Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established by Bob Timmers on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the original artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre. It is headquartered in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/|title=The Official Government Recognized Rockabilly Hall of Fame® - Est. 1997|website=Rockabillyhall.com|access-date=January 8, 2018|archive-date=January 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110111646/http://rockabillyhall.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2000, an [[International Rock-A-Billy Hall of Fame Museum]] was established in Jackson, Tennessee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.org/|title=International Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Jackson, Tennessee|website=Rockabillyhall.org|access-date=January 8, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of rockabilly musicians]]
* [[Bluegrass music]]
* [[Boogie rock]]
* [[Folk music]]
* [[Folk rock]]
* [[Gothabilly]]
* [[Psychobilly]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.rockabillymovies.com List of Rockabilly movies & TV]

{{Country music}}
{{Rock}}
{{Americanrootsmusic}}
{{Folk music|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rockabilly| ]]
[[Category:Rock music genres]]
[[Category:American styles of music]]
[[Category:Fusion music genres]]
[[Category:Musical subcultures]]
[[Category:Retro style]]
[[Category:Youth culture in the United States]]
[[Category:Youth culture]]
[[Category:Counterculture of the 1950s]]