Fifties Pop

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(Vocals, 1940–2003) London-born Terence Nelhams sang in skiffle group The Worried Men, before changing his name at UK TV guru Jack Good’s suggestion. After early flops, arranger John Barry provided string backing for 1959’s UK No. 1 ‘What Do You Want’, while 1960’s follow-up ‘Poor Me’ also topped the chart, and Faith accumulated 22 more hits by 1966. In 1972, he discovered Leo Sayer, and in 1974, starred with David Essex ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Disc jockey, 1922–65) Freed, the DJ who gave rock’n’roll its name, fronted Moondog’s Rock’n’Roll Party at Cleveland’s WJW radio station, where he programmed mainly black R&B plus some early white rock’n’roll records. His vocal jive delighted his audience, and he also appeared in several early rock’n’roll exploitation movies, including Rock Around The Clock, Rock, Rock, Rock (both 1956) and others. He accepted a songwriting credit on Chuck Berry’s ‘Maybellene’ in exchange ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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William John Clifton Haley was born on 6 July 1925 in Highland Park, Detroit, and raised near Chester, Pennsylvania. His parents were both musical, and he got his first proper guitar when he was 13. Even though he was blind in one eye and shy about his disability (he later tried to distract from it with his trademark kiss-curl), he started playing local shows. A Professional Yodeller In his late teens he joined ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, 1936–73) Aged 20, New York-born Walden Robert Cassotto’s chart career started with the novelty million-seller, ‘Splish Splash’. Leading The Rinky Dinks, he next charted with ‘Early In The Morning’ (later a hit for Buddy Holly), and in 1957 ‘Queen Of The Hop’ also sold a million. His major breakthrough was 1959’s million-selling ‘Dream Lover’, followed by his Sinatra-esque US/UK No. 1 cover of ‘Mack The Knife’, the first of several ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1942) Philadelphia-born Robert Ridarelli regularly appeared on Paul Whiteman’s TV talent show, and played with Frankie Avalon in Rocco and The Saints, before signing with the local Cameo label in 1959. His biggest success was 1960’s million-selling US Top 3 hit, ‘Wild One’, although the same year’s ‘Volare’ (US Top 5) has aged better. Probably appreciated more for his good looks than his vocal prowess, Rydell accumulated 30 US ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1944) The diminutive Georgia-born Brenda Tarpley turned professional aged six, and was known as ‘Little Miss Dynamite’, debuting on the US pop and country charts in early 1957. 1959’s ‘Sweet Nothin’s’, a sexy rocker, was her first US Top 5 hit, and her biggest success came with 1960’s million-selling US No. 1 ballad, ‘I’m Sorry’. ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ was another 1960 million-seller, and she accumulated over 50 ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas, on 7 September 1936. Buddy got a guitar in his mid-teens and started practising with friend, Bob Montgomery. They liked country and western but also had predilection for the blues. An Elvis gig in Lubbock in early 1955 alerted them to new possibilities. Buddy and Bob, as they called themselves, played local radio stations and were making a reputation; but when ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Guitar, vocals, 1933–99) Texas-born Knox formed The Rhythm Orchids at West Texas State high school with Jimmy Bowen (bass, vocals). ‘Party Doll’ (by Knox) and ‘I’m Stickin’ With You’ (by Bowen), recorded by Norman Petty, which possibly influenced Buddy Holly to choose Petty as his producer, were released as the two sides of a 1957 million-selling single. Thereafter, Knox managed lesser hits until 1961, but Bowen became a label executive and ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Guitar, vocals, 1932–88) Tennessee-born Perkins was a rockabilly pioneer. Signed to Sun Records in 1955, he is most famous for 1956’s US country chart-topper/US pop Top 3/UK Top 10 ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. On his way to New York for a TV appearance, Perkins was involved in a serious car crash, and a 1956 Elvis Presley cover version of the song was a million-seller. Perkins was sidelined and despite continuing to record, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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Charles Edward Anderson Berry, known to all as Chuck, was born in St Louis, Missouri, on 18 October 1926, at the family’s home in Goode Avenue. The local gospel choir used it for their rehearsals and there was a well-employed piano in situ. Berry began learning the guitar in his mid-teens. At 17 he was involved in a string of robberies which led to a tough jail sentence, and he was ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, 1928–58) Known as ‘The Sheik Of The Stroll’, Atlanta-born Harold Willis was a rising star, with a string of US R&B hits to his credit, the biggest 1957’s R&B No. 1, ‘C.C. Rider’, which also made the US pop Top 20. Signed to Okeh Records between 1952 and 1954, his career took off in 1956, when he signed with Atlantic, for whom he made a second posthumous R&B chart-topper, 1958’s ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
100 Words Read More

(Vocals, b. 1940) Born Harry Webb in India, Cliff Richard is the ultimate British pop star, with over 100 UK hit singles to his credit since 1958, when ‘Move It’, widely regarded as the first credible British rock’n’roll record, reached the UK Top 3. More than a dozen UK No. 1s include 1959’s ‘Living Doll’ and ‘Travellin’ Light’, ‘The Young Ones’ (1962) and ‘Summer Holiday’ (1963), both title songs of movies ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, b. 1938) New Jersey-born Concetta Franconero appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s TV talent show, and while still at university, signed to MGM Records. 1958’s UK chart topper, ‘Who’s Sorry Now’ was the first of eight mainly sentimental million-selling US hits, including 1959’s ‘Among My Souvenirs’, and 1960’s ‘Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool’, the first of three US No. 1s. Her second UK No. 1, 1958’s ‘Stupid Cupid’, only made the US Top 20, ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocals, 1933–93) Mississippi-born Harold Jenkins, who changed his name in 1957 to reflect the place names of Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas, started his career as a rock’n’roll singer in the late 1950s, scoring his biggest hit in 1958 with ‘It’s Only Make Believe’, continuing in 1959 with ‘Mona Lisa’ and a second US million-seller, ‘Lonely Blue Boy’. In 1965, Twitty moved into country music and became one of the most ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal group, 1955–present) Originally known as The Juvenaires, this doo-wop group was formed in 1955 while members Danny Rapp, Frank Maffei, Joe Terranova and Dave White were still at high school in Philadelphia. They signed to Singular Records, owned by Artie Singer, and made the 1957 million-seller ‘At The Hop’, which topped the US singles chart for seven weeks on ABC-Paramount, and made the UK Top 3. Originally titled ‘Do The ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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