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Elvis Aaron Presley was born in his family’s shot-gun shack in Tupelo, Mississippi, on 8 January 1935. His twin brother died at birth, and his mother doted on her sole son. He showed musical aptitude early, and loved to sing at the local First Assembly of God church. His mother, Gladys and father, Vernon, ...

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

Elvis Presley was the most important figure in popular music during the twentieth century. His influence was enormous, and remains so, nearly 30 years after his death. The recordings that he made during the first few years of his career inspired a whole generation and the initial impact of a country boy singing black R&B changed forever the strictly ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

mid-1950s, pop was, for the first time, truly music for the teen masses, to be enjoyed and even performed by teens. In the wake of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, guitar sales went through the roof, and it was not long before tens of thousands of juvenile bands began springing up on both sides of ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, general editor Paul Du Noyer

on an increasingly grand scale. It was as if excess was being equated with success and it was also evident that, just 20 years after the likes of Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis had inspired teenagers, outraged parents and revolutionized Western culture, contemporary music had basically lost touch with its original raison d’être. No longer ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, general editor Paul Du Noyer

In 1949, two apparently small events took place, which in hindsight were to have monumental significance for popular culture. The first of these saw Billboard magazine change the name of its ‘Race Records’ chart to the more relevant and politically correct ‘Rhythm & Blues’ chart, reflecting the success of the American dance music of the moment. Meanwhile, ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, general editor Paul Du Noyer

by country music artists playing pedal-steel guitar, an instrument developed by musicians in Hawaii; horn players and the rhythm sections preferred Cuban orchestras; others heard James Brown and Elvis Presley and decided that funk or rock were the true paths. But the availability of instruments and like-minded souls – both to play with or to provide an audience – would ...

Source: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music, general editor Paul Du Noyer

(Guitar, vocals, 1905–74) Arthur William Crudup was born in Forest, Mississippi and did not learn to play the guitar until his 30s. He worked functions in the Clarksdale area before moving to Chicago in 1940, signing with Bluebird in 1941 and finding considerable popularity on record. He returned to Mississippi after the Second World War and worked ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

Alexander’s ‘You Better Move On’ was a No. 24 US hit that showcased his country-soul roots. Despite being covered by The Rolling Stones (and having other songs covered by Elvis Presley and The Beatles – the latter covering his biggest hit, ‘Anna (Go To Him)’, Alexander remained largely unknown, and retired in the 1970s. He died while promoting his ...

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

(Vocals, 1911–85) Big Joe Turner’s tenure as ‘Boss of the Blues’ is dominated by one song, ‘Shake, Rattle And Roll’, which became an early rock’n’roll anthem as recorded by white artists Bill Haley and Elvis Presley. But Turner’s long career and legacy of R&B hits includes boogies like ‘Roll ‘Em Pete’, the seminal blues of ‘Cherry Red’, and ...

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

Peacock label in 1951. She toured with Johnny Otis in 1952–53 and recorded her number-one R&B hit, ‘Hound Dog’, with his band. The record, famously covered by Elvis Presley, enabled her to branch out on her own. After leaving Peacock in 1957, she settled in the San Francisco area and worked as a solo artist. She recorded ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues, founding editor Howard Mandel

a big, no-nonsense voice perfect for the blues, yet she was able to manage only one big R&B hit with a song that soon became associated with Elvis Presley, leaving her original version in the dust. Thornton’s recording of ‘Hound Dog’ topped Billboard’s R&B chart for seven weeks in 1953. Thornton would record and perform into the 1970s ...

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

and drummer D.J. Fontana. Ironically, Black became better known commercially through a string of instrumental hits with The Bill Black Combo, a group he formed after leaving Presley in a dispute over wages. The Combo’s hits included ‘Smokie’, ‘White Silver Sands’ and ‘Josephine’. Black died of a brain tumour in 1965. Styles & Forms | Roots of Rock ...

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

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 ...

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

Rainwater as a heartbroken waltz. It’s a lament for the girl that left, but the aching vocal and trilling mandolin hint at a bit of homesickness too. When Elvis Presley made the song one of his first rock’n’roll tracks, Monroe cut a driving, 4/4 version for Decca in 1954. Styles & Forms | Bluegrass | Country Personalities | ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music, consultant editor Bob Allen

(Vocals, 1940–83) This fated Liverpudlian was on a par with Cliff Richard as a British Elvis Presley, enjoying 11 Top 10 hits before vanishing into a cabaret netherworld. Though dogged by severe ill health, he resurfaced as a typecast rock’n’roll singer in the 1973 movie That’ll Be The Day. As he may have wished, he died with ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.

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