"Rockabilly" spanned the gap between rock & roll and country western music. My favorite rockabilly was Johnny Burnette, who died 50 years ago in a boating accident at age 30 in 1964. He still sounds good after all these years... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jD8siCNo7b4?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Great song! Love the hair, which was the trademark of the day, as was the bands and the boys in the audience in suits. I did not recall that Johnny Burnette had died so tragically at such a young age. I lived in Cherry Hill, NJ, from 1956 to 1961, during my teens and during the early years of rock n roll. I saw many r&r stars in their early years at r&r shows in downtown Camden and at dances in the area. I did not realize at the time how memorable to me those years would become. I was present at the local debut of Fabian during a show which included established acts like the Monotones and Frankie Avalon. At a dance at the Camden Ice House, I saw Chubby Checker, Brian Hyland, and others whom I can't recall. As HS juniors, we went down to the Steel Pier in Atlantic City to see the great Ricky Nelson. I was on American Bandstand. I was one cool cat! :lol:
You were on Bandstand? Holy cow! That was almost as good as being Italian in those days! Here's Fabian on Dick Clark's Saturday show from those days. He was only 16 and he was terrible, but the girls loved him, because he was so good looking. He was a total studio creation: all glamour and zero talent. He was the Monkees before the Monkees made lip synching an art form... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/osvn-393OyY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
LOL! re: Fabian being terrible. I'll never forget when he came on stage during that show. The girls in the audience immediately started screaming before he opened his mouth. When he started singing, my friends and I cringed at the sound of his voice. He couldn't sing at all. The teeny bopper girls didn't care. They screamed so loud, you could hardly hear him, which was a good thing. :roll: Your description of him as a studio creation is right on.
For Tom: <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/frWKvHUMGII?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Johnny and his older brother, Dorsey Burnette, left Catholic High School in Memphis, Tennessee and headed to Hollywood. Not being sure where to go, they bought a "Map to the Stars Homes" (I'm not making this up.) and located Ricky Nelson's house. He had no idea who they were, so they camped out in his driveway. After a few days, a servant came out to ask who they were and what they wanted. They handed the guy some songs that they had written and told him that if Ricky didn't like them, that they would go away. Ricky loved them and recorded hit after hit in the 50's recording the music of the two kids who had camped out in his driveway. Here's one of them: It's Late written by Johnny Burnette. <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nBnhQ_wjkP8?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Johnny and Dorsey Burnette also wrote this tune. It's another one from the driveway. Here's Ricky Nelson doing Believe What You Say shortly before his death in a plane crash... <iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CfXUOWoZclc?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Bar and grill on November 1st for two reasons: 1) Mopar car show that Cindy's car is entered, and 2) Motley Crew's final performance. This should be a fun Saturday. Going up on Friday night so we can get there early and spot clean the car.
Jim, thanks for that enlightening stroll down memory lane. I was a huge Ricky Nelson fan. I watched him grow up (along with me) on Ozzie and Harriet. When he became a rock star, I liked his style and his music. In the summer of '60 or '61, I (with friends) went down to the Steel Pier in Atlantic City to see him in person. It was a great experience. His death was a very sad tragedy. Thanks for the story about the Burnettes.
Worth watching and listening: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GYMLMj-SibU?rel=0" frameborder="0"></iframe>
BB King and Roger Daltrey of the Who; <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AMRHs4CrPU0" frameborder="0"></iframe>