Month: April 2022

April 9, 1932 – Singer-songwriter Carl Perkins was born on this day in Tiptonville, Tennessee. He had the 1956 US #2 and UK #10 single “Blue Suede Shoes.” Perkins’ songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Johnny Cash. Paul McCartney claimed that “if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles.” #ROCkabillyHop #BlueSuedeShoes @SunRecords #CarlPerkins #RocHop #HappyBirthday #RocHop
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April 8, 1960 – Elvis Presley releases his tenth album, “Elvis Is Back!” which would top the UK Albums Chart and reach #2 in Billboard’s Top LPs. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #ElvisIsBack #RocHop
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April 7, 2015 – Don McLean’s original manuscript to his lyric for “American Pie” sells at auction for $1.2 million. Says McLean: “I thought it would be interesting as I reach age 70 to release this work product on the song ‘American Pie’ so that anyone who might be interested will learn that this song was not a parlor game.” @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets @donmcleanonline #AmericanPie #RocHop
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April 7, 1965 – The Elvis movie “Girl Happy” opens and is the 25th top-grossing film of the year. The soundtrack hits #8, while the single “Crying in the Chapel” hits #3. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #GirlHappy #CryingInTheChapel #RocHop
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April 7, 1961 – Gene Pitney performs “(I Wanna) Love My Life Away” on “American Bandstand.” The song was Pitney’s first charting single, and spent 8 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #39. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand #GenePitney
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April 7, 1959 – As the snow melts in Mason City, Iowa, Buddy Holly’s glasses are found from the plane crash that killed him two months earlier. They are turned in to police, where they remain in evidence lockup, forgotten until 1980, when a sheriff finds them and returns them to Holly’s widow. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #RocHop
https://amzn.to/3hIitiQ

April 7, 1956 – The CBS Radio Network premiered the first regularly scheduled national broadcast rock & roll show, Alan Freed’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party.” #ROCkabillyHop #AlanFreed #RocHop
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April 6, 1962 – Jay and the Americans make their national television debut on “American Bandstand.” They sing “She Cried.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop @dickclarkprod #DickClark #AmericanBandstand
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April 6, 1959 – The self-titled LP by Ritchie Valens hits US charts. Included on the album are the songs “Donna” and “La Bamba.” #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #RitchieValens #Donna #LaBamba
https://amzn.to/3I8O5Jc

April 6, 1956 – Elvis Presley signs a three-picture deal with Paramount only five days after his first screen test. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #RocHop
https://amzn.to/3CE38K4