Month: December 2022

December 6, 1957 – Mercury Records releases The Diamonds’ version of “The Stroll”. The song will peak at #4 on the Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart and help spark a dance craze where two lines of dancers, men on one side and women on the other, face each other, moving in place to the music, while one couple at a time dances down the center. #ROCkabillyHop #Diamonds #Stroll #MercuryRecords #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 5, 2008 – The musical biopic “Cadillac Records” premieres in US theaters, with Beyoncé in a starring role as soul legend Etta James. #ROCkabillyHop @Beyonce #CadillacRecords #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 5, 1960 – Elvis Presley started a ten-week run at #1 on the US album chart with “G.I. Blues.” His fifth US #1 album. Music on this album was comprised of songs that had appeared in the film of the same name. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #TCB #theKing #GIBlues #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 5, 1959 – Gene Vincent meets TV producer Jack Good upon his arrival in England. Good convinced Vincent to adopt an outlaw image and clothed him completely in black leather, creating an enduring rock ‘n’ roll icon. #ROCkabillyHop @ClaceVincent #genevincent #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 5, 1932 – Little Richard was born “Richard Wayne Penniman” in Macon, Georgia. Little Richard had the 1956 US #6 & 1957 UK #3 single “Long Tall Sally,” plus over 10 other US & UK Top 40 singles. His music played a key role in the formation of other popular music genres, including soul and funk, and helped shape rhythm and blues for generations to come. #ROCkabillyHop @littlerichard_ #LittleRichard #HappyBirthday #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 4, 1988 – In Akron, Ohio, Roy Orbison plays his last concert (his final song: “Running Scared”). The legendary singer dies of heart failure two days later. #ROCkabillyHop @RoyOrbison @RoyOrbisonJr #RoyOrbison #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 4, 1960 – The Crickets released the single “I Fought the Law” on Coral Records. Written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets, a remake by the Bobby Fuller Four became a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by The Clash in 1979 after Joe Strummer and guitarist Mick Jones heard the “unknown song” on a jukebox in San Francisco. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 4, 1957 – Buddy Holly and The Crickets return to Lubbock. Niki Sullivan leaves the group, citing the harsh tour schedule as his reason. Norman Petty signs contracts for Buddy Holly and The Crickets to participate in three tours, including the Paramount Theater in New York, America’s Greatest Teenage Recording Stars, and a short Florida tour. @buddyholly #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll Source: @BuddyHollyCtr
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December 4, 1956 – Elvis drops into the Sun Studios in Memphis to visit Carl Perkins, then recording with a still-unknown Jerry Lee Lewis on piano. At some point during the afternoon, Johnny Cash, also on Sun, drops in, and the four begin an informal jam session that would later be known as the “Million Dollar Quartet” sessions (though there is some debate on how many, if any, tracks Cash himself is on). Largely covers of gospel, bluegrass, and a little R&B, the tapes finally see the light of day in the early Eighties. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley @jerryleelewis @sunrecords @JohnnyCash #CarlPerkins @MillionDQuartet #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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December 3, 1968 – “Elvis,” the 1968 TV special, airs on NBC-TV and is one of the biggest television hits of the year, receiving 40% of the viewing audience, and rave reviews from the public, and critics alike. The soundtrack album to this Elvis Christmas special goes to #8 on the pop chart. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #TCB #theKing #1968ComebackSpecial #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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