Month: April 2022

April 12, 1961 – James Darren appears on Bob Hope’s NBC-TV special. Darren sings “Gidget Goes Hawaiian” and “Wild About That Girl.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #JamesDarren #BobHope #GidgetGoesHawaiian #WildAboutThatGirl
https://amzn.to/3CKqoWu

April 12, 1961 – Freddy Cannon performs “Opportunity” and “Buzz Buzz A-Diddle-It” on “American Bandstand.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #FreddyCannon #Opportunity #BuzzBuzzADiddleIt
https://amzn.to/3KDQ4qK

April 12, 1954 – Bill Haley recorded “Rock Around the Clock” at Pythian Temple studios in New York City. Considered by many to be the song that put rock and roll on the map around the world. The song was used over the opening titles for the film “Blackboard Jungle,” and went on to be a world-wide #1 and the biggest selling pop single with sales over 25 million. Written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers, “Rock Around The Clock” was first recorded by Italian-American band Sonny Dae and His Knights. #ROCkabillyHop @billhaleymusic #BillHaley #RockAroundTheClock #RocHop
https://amzn.to/3CIWguS

April 10, 1963 – The Elvis Presley movie “It Happened at the World’s Fair” opens nationally and does relatively well at the box office, though its plot is the most frivolous of any Elvis film so far. The soundtrack album hits #4. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #ItHappenedAtTheWorldsFair #RocHop
https://amzn.to/3q8Tudc

April 10, 1961 – Del Shannon performs “Runaway” on “American Bandstand.” The appearance helped to catapult the song to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for four weeks. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #DelShannon #Runaway
https://amzn.to/3Jg9q4Z

April 10, 1960 – The Everly Brothers appear on the ATV program “Sunday Night at the Palladium” in London, England. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #EverlyBrothers @EverlyBrosInt
https://amzn.to/3tdNgdV

April 10, 1959 – Brian Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York. Guitarist and singer for The Stray Cats, known for songs like “Runaway Boys,” and “Stray Cat Strut.” He went on to explore big band-style arrangements with the Brian Setzer Orchestra. #HappyBirthday #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #BrianSetzer @briansetzer59 #StrayCatStrut #RunawayBoys
https://amzn.to/3tdcwAW

April 10, 1957 – “I’m Walking” by Ricky Nelson is heard on ABC-TV’s “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @RickyNelsonRem #RickyNelson #ImWalking #OzzieAndHarriet
https://amzn.to/361I0RV

April 10th, 1921 – Actor and Singer Sheb Wooley was born Shelby Fredrick Wooley in Erick, Oklahoma. Wooley is known for his 1958 US #1 & UK #12 single, “The Purple People Eater”, and playing Pete Nolan in the TV series “Rawhide.” #HappyBirthday #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #ShebWooley #PurplePeopleEater #Rawhide
https://amzn.to/3u2SVCX

April 9, 1960 – Dion and the Belmonts sing “Where and When” and “When You Wish Upon a Star” on “The Dick Clark Show.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #DionAndTheBelmonts #WhereAndWhen #WhenYouWishUponAStar
https://amzn.to/3I5puoA