Category: On This Day…

November 20, 1972 – Elton John releases “Crocodile Rock” in the US. An early example of 1950s nostalgia, it became his first U.S. number-one single, reaching the top spot the following February. #ROCkabillyHop #EltonJohn #CrocodileRock @eltonofficial
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November 20, 1961 – Billboard reports on the stunning popularity of the “Twist” craze: Three separate films, starring Chubby Checker, Joey Dee and the Starlighters, and Dion, are scheduled for production, and New York television station WOR is airing hourly twist lessons of between one and five minutes, also featuring Checker. #ROCkabillyHop @chubby_checker @billboard #twist #ChubbyChecker #JoeyDee #Starlighters
https://amzn.to/3nGBipf

November 20, 1957 – The Silhouettes release “Get A Job.” It would reach the number one spot on the Billboard pop and R&B singles charts in February 1958. #ROCkabillyHop #TheSilhouettes #GetAJob
https://amzn.to/3BuJ9Lk

November 20, 1955 – The song that changed popular music history ‘Rock Around the Clock’ by Bill Haley & His Comets went to No.1 on the UK singles chart. It had already hit number one in the US on July 9th that year. The song was used under the opening credits of the film Blackboard Jungle. The song entered the charts a further six times until 1974. #ROCkabillyHop @billhaleymusic #BillHaley #BlackboardJungle
https://amzn.to/3mNesKo

November 20, 1955 – After agreeing to perform Tennessee Ernie Ford’s hit “Sixteen Tons” on CBS-TV’s Ed Sullivan Show, Bo Diddley instead plays the song he was actually there to promote, his own hit “Bo Diddley.” A furious Sullivan blackballs Bo from ever appearing on the show again. The singer has claimed he was never paid for the performance. #ROCkabillyHop @bodiddley #BoDiddley #SixteenTons #EdSullivan
https://amzn.to/3nJrWJk

November 19, 1957 – Elvis Presley’s first Christmas album, titled Elvis’ Christmas Album, is released. It will become the best-selling holiday album of all time. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #theKing #ChristmasAlbum
https://amzn.to/3nIFHIo

November 19, 1949 – A 14-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis makes his debut at the opening of a Ford dealership in Ferriday. He plays “Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee.” #ROCkabillyHop #JerryLeeLewis #DrinkingWine #SpoDeeODee
https://amzn.to/2ZzN7Wp

November 18th, 2005 – The movie Walk The Line, based on the life of Johnny Cash and starring Joaquin Phoenix as the singer, opens in US theaters. #ROCkabillyHop #ManInBlack #WalkTheLine #JohnnyCash
https://amzn.to/2XY6ebP

November 18th, 1956 – Fats Domino appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show performing ‘Blueberry Hill.’ Before the song became a rock and roll standard it had been recorded by various artists including Louis Armstrong, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Gene Autry and Jimmy Dorsey. The version by Fats Domino was ranked No.82 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. #ROCkabillyHop #TheFatMan @RealFatsDomino #fatsdomino #EdSullivan
https://amzn.to/2XXza3A

November 18, 1927 – Hank Ballard was born in Detroit. Rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of The Midnighters, he one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an integral part in the development of the genre. #ROCkabillyHop #HankBallard #HappyBirthday
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