Johnny London made history at the age of 16 when his only recording became the first single to be released on the great Sun Studio label in Memphis. (more…)
Hank Locklin was a huge country star, notching numerous hits with countless smooth songs showcasing his sweet and warm tenor and romantic sentiments. This old-timey number is an exception.
Johnny Horton walked the line between country music and rockabilly but had his biggest success with a pair of folk-flavoured “saga songs” before dying an early death in a car crash in 1960. (more…)
Raymond Hill was the sax man who got a shout-out from Ike Turner for his solo on Rocket 88 – and the man who fathered Tina Turner’s first child. (more…)
Elton Britt, famed for his yodelling, made his name with a patriotic song that went viral during World War Two. This equally infectious number came along 14 years later in 1956. (more…)
Of all the country boogie songs (and there are many), perhaps the most unusual is Grady Martin’s hymn to the least fashionable style of men’s underwear – Long John Boogie. (more…)
Rockabilly one-hit wonder Ray Smith’s background is like a real-life version of The Dukes Of Hazzard. (more…)
Carl Perkins may be the least famous of the Million Dollar Quartet who turned up to record at Sun Studio on the same day as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. (more…)
Hillbilly boogie was a postwar hybrid popularised by white folk in the South and evolved into rockabilly in the mid-1950s. (more…)