Category: On This Day…

November 24, 1941 – Donald “Duck” Dunn

November 24, 1941 – Bass guitarist Donald “Duck” Dunn (of Booker T. & the MGs) was born in Memphis, Tennessee. His father gave him the nickname “Duck” while they were watching Disney cartoons together featuring the popular Donald Duck. #ROCkabillyHop #HappyBirthday #DonaldDuckDunn #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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November 24, 1939 – Carl Bunch

November 24, 1939 – Carl Bunch was born in Big Spring, Texas. Buddy Holly invited Bunch, Tommy Allsup, and Waylon Jennings to be his backing band for the “Winter Dance Party” tour in 1959. Holly’s band also backed other acts on the tour, including Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. When Bunch had to be left behind in Wisconsin, hospitalized for frostbite he experienced after the tour bus heater failed, Holly and Valens took turns in the drummer’s seat playing behind the various acts. He attended Buddy Holly-related events during the 2000s, signing autographs as “The Frostbitten Cricket”. @BuddyHolly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop @OfficialWaylon #TheCrickets #FrostbittenCricket #CarlBunch #HappyBirthday #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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November 24, 1931 – Tommy Allsup

November 24, 1931 – Tommy Allsup was born “Thomas Douglas Allsup” in Owasso, Oklahoma. Allsup co-wrote The Ventures’ “Guitar Twist.” Allsup was playing guitar on tour with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson when he lost a fateful coin toss with Valens for a seat on the plane that crashed, killing Valens, Holly, Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson on February 3, 1959. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets #HappyBirthday #TommyAllsup #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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November 24, 1924 – Werly Fairburn

November 24, 1924 – Werly Fairburn was born near Folsom, Louisiana. Fairburn was an American country and rockabilly singer, songwriter, and Owner of the Milestone Records label. His 1956 single “Everybody’s Rockin'” is considered a rockabilly classic. #ROCkabillyHop #HappyBirthday #WerlyFairburn #EverybodysRockin #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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November 23, 1960 – Elvis Presley

November 23, 1960 – Elvis Presley’s first post-Army film, “G.I. Blues” was officially released. It reached #2 on Variety’s weekly national box office chart and finished as the fourteenth biggest box office grossing film of the year. Presley plays a tank crewman with a singing career and dreams of running his own nightclub when he leaves the army. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #TCB #theKing #GIBlues #OTD #RockNRoll #RocHop
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November 22, 1961 – Elvis Presley

November 22, 1961 – Elvis Presley’s film “Blue Hawaii” opens nationally to warm reviews. The film hit #18 on the box office charts in 1961 and #14 in 1962. It earns recognition as one of the Best Elvis movies and is the top-grossing film of his career thus far. Its characteristics of a non-cerebral plot, lavish scenery, lots of songs by Elvis, and lots of pretty girls become the basis for the “Presley formula” movies of the sixties. #ROCkabillyHop @ElvisPresley #Elvis #TCB #theKing #BlueHawaii #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll
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November 22, 1958 – The Big Bopper

November 22, 1958 – The Big Bopper is among the guests appearing on ABC-TV’s “The Dick Clark Show.” He performs “Chantilly Lace” which was originally released as the B side to “The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor.” This was J.P. Richardson’s first release as “The Big Bopper.” DJs and the public preferred “Chantilly Lace” driving it to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Cashbox chart. #ROCkabillyHop #RocHop #OTD #RockNRoll @DickClarkProd #DickClark #Billboard #Hot100
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