Author: Keith Saturn

December 9, 1955 – Elvis Presley performs at the B&I Club in Swifton, Arkansas, and introduces his new song, “Heartbreak Hotel,” by claiming “It’s gonna be my first hit.” The single topped Billboard’s Top 100 chart for seven weeks, Cashbox’s pop singles chart for six weeks, and the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks as well as reaching No. 3 on the R&B chart, becoming Presley’s first million-seller, and one of the best-selling singles of 1956. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #heartbreakhotel
https://amzn.to/2ZWVyLo

December 8, 1958 – “The Chipmunk Song” by David Seville And The Chipmunks entered the Billboard Top 40 chart on its way to a four week stint at #1, selling 4.5 million copies in seven weeks. The record would go on to win three Grammy Awards: Best Comedy Performance, Best Children’s Recording and Best Engineered Record (non-classical.) #ROCkabillyHop #ChipmunkSong #Chipmunks #DavidSeville
https://amzn.to/3cNglUq

December 7, 1956 – Rock! Rock! Rock!, one of the earliest Rock and Roll movies, opens in theaters. The film features the popular disc jockey Alan Freed along with Chuck Berry, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers and LaVern Baker. #ROCkabillyHop @ChuckBerry #AlanFreed
https://amzn.to/3raRB12

December 7, 1955 – At Nesman Recording Studio in Wichita Falls, Buddy Holley, Don Guess and J.I. Allison record “Love Me”, “Don’t Come Back Knockin’”, “Moonlight Baby”, and “I Guess I Was Just A Fool” which are submitted on acetate to Decca. Source: The Buddy Holly Center, 1801 Crickets Ave., Lubbock. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets
https://amzn.to/3CUOGLU

December 7, 1924 – Rockabilly singer-songwriter Boyd Bennett is born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Known for the 1955 hit “Seventeen.” #ROCkabillyHop #BoydBennett #HappyBirthday
https://amzn.to/3xpDw0L

December 6, 1957 – Mercury Records releases The Diamonds’ version of “The Stroll”. The song will peak at #4 on the Billboard Pop 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
https://amzn.to/3DOkjYZ

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
https://amzn.to/3E5qcRu

December 5, 1960 – Elvis Presley started a ten-week run at number one on the US album chart with ‘G.I. Blues’. His fifth US No.1 album. Music on this album comprised songs that had appeared in the film of the same name. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #GIBlues
https://amzn.to/3CTV46m

December 5, 1959 – Gene Vincent meets TV producer Jack Good upon his arrival in England. Good convinces Vincent to adopt an outlaw image and clothes him completely in black leather, creating an enduring rock ‘n’ roll icon. #ROCkabillyHop @ClaceVincent #genevincent
https://amzn.to/311gNvD

December 5, 1932 – Little Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman on this day in Macon, Georgia. Little Richard had the 1956 US No. 6 & 1957 UK No.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
https://amzn.to/312Pi5b