The Beatles
Background information
Origin Liverpool, England
Genre(s) Rock, pop[1]
Years active 1960–1970
Label(s) Parlophone
Capitol
Odeon
Apple
Vee-Jay
Polydor
Swan
Tollie
United Artists Records
Associated acts Tony Sheridan, The Quarrymen, Plastic Ono Band, The Dirty Mac, Wings, Traveling Wilburys, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Ringo Starr All-Starr Band, Billy Preston
Website www.beatles.com
Members
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
Former members
Stuart Sutcliffe
Pete Best
The Beatles were a pop and rock group from Liverpool, England. They are one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music.[2] The band's principal members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
In the United Kingdom, The Beatles released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries; their record company, EMI, estimated that by 1985 they had sold over one billion records worldwide.[3] The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.[4]
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Beatles #1 on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[5] According to that same magazine, their innovative music and cultural impact helped define the 1960s[2] and their influence on pop culture is still evident today.
The Beatles led the mid-1960s musical "British Invasion" into the United States. Although their initial musical style was rooted in 1950s rock and roll and homegrown skiffle, the group explored genres ranging from Tin Pan Alley to psychedelic rock. Their clothes, styles, and statements made them trend-setters, while their growing social awareness saw their influence extend into the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960s.
March 30, 2008
About The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
Background information
Also known as The Stones
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, rock and roll, R&B, blues
Years active 1962–present
Label(s) Decca, Rolling Stones, Virgin, ABKCO, Interscope, Polydor
Website RollingStones.com
Members
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Ronnie Wood
Former members
Bill Wyman
Brian Jones
Mick Taylor
Ian Stewart
Dick Taylor
The Rolling Stones are an English band whose music was initially based on rhythm and blues and rock & roll. Formed in London and having their first success in the UK, they subsequently became popular in the US during the "British Invasion" in the early 1960s.[1] The band were formed in 1962 by original leader Brian Jones, but were eventually led by the songwriting partnership of singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Pianist Ian Stewart, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman completed the early lineup. Ian Stewart was removed from the official lineup in 1963 but continued to work with the band as road manager and keyboardist until his death in 1985. The band's early albums were mainly covers of American blues and R&B songs. The band's single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" established the Stones as a premier rock and roll act.[2] Starting with their 1966 album Aftermath, the songs of Jagger and Richards, aided by the instrumental experimentation of Jones, expanded an always present stylistic flexibility. Jones died in 1969 shortly after being fired from the band and was replaced by Mick Taylor.[3] Taylor recorded five albums with The Stones before quitting in 1974. Former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood stepped in and has been with the band since. Wyman retired in 1993 and was replaced by Darryl Jones, who is not an official member.
The band have released 55 albums of original work[4] and compilations, and have had 32 U.K & U.S top-10 singles.[5] They have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.[6] 1971's Sticky Fingers began a string of eight consecutive studio albums at number one in the United States. In 1989 the Rolling Stones were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they were ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[7] They are also ranked as the number 2 artists of all time on Acclaimedmusic.net.[8] Their latest album, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005 and accompanied by the highest-grossing tour in history, which lasted into late summer 2007. During the 1969 American tour, tour manager Sam Cutler introduced them as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World",[9] a title which has remained. Their image of unkempt and surly youth is one that many musicians still emulate.[9]
Background information
Also known as The Stones
Origin London, England
Genre(s) Rock, rock and roll, R&B, blues
Years active 1962–present
Label(s) Decca, Rolling Stones, Virgin, ABKCO, Interscope, Polydor
Website RollingStones.com
Members
Mick Jagger
Keith Richards
Charlie Watts
Ronnie Wood
Former members
Bill Wyman
Brian Jones
Mick Taylor
Ian Stewart
Dick Taylor
The Rolling Stones are an English band whose music was initially based on rhythm and blues and rock & roll. Formed in London and having their first success in the UK, they subsequently became popular in the US during the "British Invasion" in the early 1960s.[1] The band were formed in 1962 by original leader Brian Jones, but were eventually led by the songwriting partnership of singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Pianist Ian Stewart, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman completed the early lineup. Ian Stewart was removed from the official lineup in 1963 but continued to work with the band as road manager and keyboardist until his death in 1985. The band's early albums were mainly covers of American blues and R&B songs. The band's single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" established the Stones as a premier rock and roll act.[2] Starting with their 1966 album Aftermath, the songs of Jagger and Richards, aided by the instrumental experimentation of Jones, expanded an always present stylistic flexibility. Jones died in 1969 shortly after being fired from the band and was replaced by Mick Taylor.[3] Taylor recorded five albums with The Stones before quitting in 1974. Former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood stepped in and has been with the band since. Wyman retired in 1993 and was replaced by Darryl Jones, who is not an official member.
The band have released 55 albums of original work[4] and compilations, and have had 32 U.K & U.S top-10 singles.[5] They have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.[6] 1971's Sticky Fingers began a string of eight consecutive studio albums at number one in the United States. In 1989 the Rolling Stones were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they were ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[7] They are also ranked as the number 2 artists of all time on Acclaimedmusic.net.[8] Their latest album, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005 and accompanied by the highest-grossing tour in history, which lasted into late summer 2007. During the 1969 American tour, tour manager Sam Cutler introduced them as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World",[9] a title which has remained. Their image of unkempt and surly youth is one that many musicians still emulate.[9]
March 18, 2008
March 06, 2008
About FATS DOMINO
Fats Domino
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fats Domino in concert in France, 1992.
Background information
Birth name Antoine Dominique Domino
Also known as Fats
Born February 26, 1928 (1928-02-26) (age 80)
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre(s) R&B (New Orleans)
Rock and roll
Piano blues
Boogie-woogie
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1949–Present
Label(s) Imperial, ABC, Mercury, Broadmoor, Reprise, Sonet, Warner Bros. Records, Toot Toot
Members
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928) is a classic R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter and (according to Joel Whitburn's Billboard books) was the best selling R&B artist of the 1950s.
Contents
1 Biography
2 Business
3 Trivia
4 References in popular culture
5 Singles discography
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
Biography
Domino was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He first attracted national attention with "The Fat Man" in 1949 on Imperial Records. This song is an early rock and roll record, featuring a rolling piano and Domino doing "wah-wah" vocalizing over a fat back beat. Fats domino then released a series of hit songs with producer and co-writer Dave Bartholomew, saxophonists Herbert Hardesty and Alvin "Red" Tyler and drummer Earl Palmer. Other notable and long-standing musicians in Domino's band were saxophonists Reggie Houston, Lee Allen, and Fred Kemp, who was also Domino's trusted bandleader. Domino finally crossed into the pop mainstream with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), which hit the Top Ten, though Pat Boone characteristically hit #1 with a milder cover of the song that received wider radio airplay in a racially-segregated era. Domino would eventually release 37 Top 40 singles, "Whole Lotta Loving" and "Blue Monday" among them.
His 1956 uptempo version of the 1940 Vincent Rose, Al Lewis & Larry Stock song, "Blueberry Hill" reached #2 in the Top 40, was #1 on the R&B charts for 11 weeks, and was his biggest hit. "Blueberry Hill" sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956-57. The song had earlier been recorded by Gene Autry, and Louis Armstrong among many others.
Fats appeared in two films released in 1956: Shake, Rattle & Rock![1] and The Girl Can't Help It.[2] On December 18, 1957, Domino's hit "The Big Beat" was featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
Domino continued to have a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, including "Walkin' to New Orleans" (1960) written by Bobby Charles. Twenty-two of his Imperial singles were double-sided hits. After he moved to ABC-Paramount Records in 1963, however, Domino's chart career was drastically curtailed. He had a hit with "Red Sails In The Sunset" (1963) but by the end of 1964, the British Invasion had changed the tastes of the record-buying public, and Domino's chart run was over.
Despite the lack of chart success, Domino continued to record steadily until about 1970, and sporadically after that. He also continued as a popular live act for several decades. He was furthermore acknowledged as an important influence on the music of the 1960s and 1970s by some of the top artists of that era; Paul McCartney reportedly wrote the Beatles song "Lady Madonna" in an emulation of Domino's style. Domino did manage to return to the "Hot 100" charts a final time in 1968.
In the 1980s, Domino decided he would no longer leave New Orleans, having a comfortable income from royalties and a dislike for touring, and claiming he could not get any food that he liked anyplace else. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an invitation to perform at the White House failed to persuade Domino to make an exception to this policy.
Fats Domino was persuaded to perform periodically out of town, by Dianna Chenevert, agent, founder & president of New Orleans based Omni Attractions, during the 1980s & early 1990s. Most of these engagements were in and around New Orleans, but sometimes included Texas (like at the West End Market Place in downtown Dallas on Oct. 24, 1986).
On October 12, 1983 USA Today reported that Domino was included in Chenevert’s "Southern Stars" promotional poster for the agency (along with historically preserving childhood photographs of other famous living musicians from New Orleans & Louisiana on it). Fats provided a photograph of his first recording session for the poster, which was the only one he had left from his childhood. Domino autographed these posters, whose recipients included USA Today's president Al Newharth, and Peter Morton founder of the Hard Rock Cafe. Times-Picayune columnist Betty Guillaud noted on September 30, 1987 that Domino also provided Chenevert with an autographed pair of his shoes (and signed a black grand piano lid) for the Hard Rock location in New Orleans. Back then none of us knew what the future would hold for New Orleans in 2005 and how much these little bits of memorabilia would bring some comfort, after so much loss.
Domino lived in a mansion in a predominantly working-class Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, where he was a familiar sight in his bright pink Cadillac. He makes yearly appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and other local events. Domino was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."[3]
Graffitti on Domino's home from the time he was rumored dead
Fats Domino's office, June 2007When Hurricane Katrina was approaching New Orleans in August 2005, Dianna Chenevert tried to encourage Fats to evacuate, but he chose to stay at home with his family, partly owing to his wife's poor health. Unfortunately his house was in an area that was heavily flooded. Chenevert e-mailed writers at the Times Picayune newspaper hoping they could relay the information with the Domino's location to authorities & they could be rescued.
Someone thought Fats was dead, and spray-painted a message on his home, "RIP Fats. You will be missed", which was shown in news photos. On September 1, Domino's agent, Al Embry, announced that he had not heard from the musician since before the hurricane had struck.
Later that day, CNN reported that Domino was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. His daughter, gospel singer Karen Domino White, identified him from a photo shown on CNN. The Domino family was then taken to a Baton Rouge shelter, after which they were picked up by JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback of the Louisiana State University football team, and Fats' granddaughter's boyfriend. He let the Dominoes stay in his apartment. The Washington Post reported that on September 2, they had left Russell's apartment after sleeping three nights on the couch. "We've lost everything," Domino said, according to the Post.[4]
By January 2006, work to gut and repair Domino's home and office had begun. For the meantime, the Domino family is residing in Harvey, Louisiana.
Many have done what they could to help ease some of the pain for Fats Domino and others in New Orleans. Some offerings were big and some small. Chenevert replaced the Southern Stars poster Fats Domino lost and President George W. Bush also made a personal visit and replaced the medal that President Bill Clinton had previously awarded Domino.
Domino was the first artist to be announced as scheduled to perform at the 2006 Jazz & Heritage Festival.However, he was too ill to perform when scheduled and was only able to offer the audience an on-stage greeting. Domino also released an album Alive and Kickin' in early 2006 to benefit the Tipitina's Foundation, which supports indigent local musicians. The title song was recorded after Katrina, but most of the cuts were from unreleased sessions in the 1990s.
On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with OffBeat magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards held at House of Blues in New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans" and presented Fats Domino with a signed declaration. OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey and WWL-TV's Eric Paulsen presented Fats Domino with the Lifetime Achievement Award. An all-star musical tribute followed with an introduction by the legendary producer Cosimo Matassa. The Lil' Band O' Gold rhythm section, Warren Storm, Kenny Bill Stinson, David Egan and C.C. Adcock, not only anchored the band, but each contributed lead vocals, swamp pop legend Warren Storm leading off with "Let the Four Winds Blow" and "The Prisoner Song," which he proudly introduced by saying, "Fats Domino recorded this in 1958.. and so did I." The horn section included Lil' Band O' Gold's Dickie Landry, the Iguanas' Derek Huston, and long-time Domino horn men Roger Lewis, Elliot "Stackman" Callier and Herb Hardesty. They were joined by Jon Cleary (who also played guitar in the rhythm section), Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr. (who, naturally, came up with a funky arrangement for "You Keep On Knocking"), Art Neville, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, who wrote and debuted a song in tribute of Domino for the occasion. Though Domino didn't perform, those near him recall him playing air piano and singing along to his own songs.
Fats Domino returned to stage on May 19, 2007, at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house. A foundation has been formed and a show is being planned for Domino and the restoration of his home, where he intends to return someday. "I like it down there" he said in a February, 2006 CBS News interview.[5]
In September 2007, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
In December 2007, Fats Domino was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Statue of Fats Domino in the French Quarter of New Orleans
Business
His career has been produced and managed since the 1980s by multimedia entertainment purveyor and music producer Robert G. Vernon.
Since 1995, Vernon and Domino have been partners (with many other companies, such as Dick Clark Productions) in the Bobkat Music Trust. Bobkat Music is an entertainment group that manages the careers (some posthumous) of Domino, Randy Pringle (writer), and other artists.
On February 26th, 2008, Fats Domino joined Chuck Berry on the extremely short list of pop legends who have survived to see their eightieth birthday.
Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
In 1999, National Public Radio included "Ain't That A Shame" in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
A play on his name is the name of the gospel music group Fetz Domino, which means in mixed German and Latin "Groove for the Lord".
'50s blues singer Skinny Dynamo had a brief career.
Domino had 66 US Hot 100 chart hits. (James Brown had 99.)
Domino has always had strong links to The Beatles, who recorded a version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" in Germany, two years after Fats' version on Imperial Records. When they auditioned for Decca, one of their songs was another standard in Domino's repertory: "The Sheik of Araby".
In his song "I Want to Walk You Home", Domino used the words "I want to hold your hand" which may have inspired Lennon and McCartney when writing their song of the same title. In 1968, the Beatles modeled their song, "Lady Madonna", on Fats Domino's style, combining it with a nod to Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 hit "Bad Penny Blues", a record which Joe Meek had engineered. They also played some hits of the 1950s and early 1960s, including Domino's "Kansas City", during the Get Back album sessions.
Domino returned the compliment in 1968 by covering not only "Lady Madonna", but two other Beatles songs, for his Reprise LP Fats Is Back. Since then, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have recorded Fats Domino songs.
I Want to Walk You Home was used in two Public information films by the Irish Department of the Environment, highlighting the dangers of being distracted on roads.
Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) got his stage name as a play on Fats Domino's name.
He appeared in a commercial for a brand of plastic food-storage bag. Various people had been shown holding and shaking these bags filled with various food items (including an obviously unhappy kid saying "shake, shake, shake--your spinach!"). At the end, Domino appears, in front of his piano, with such a bag containing blueberries. He sings, "shake, shake, shake your blueberries--on Blueberry Hill!"
References in popular culture
In the popular 1970s sitcom Happy Days, set in the 1950s, lead character Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) would often sing "I found my thrill..." (the first line of Domino's "Blueberry Hill") in reference to pretty girls he dated or wanted to date.
The fictional girl band in the television series Rock Follies threatened to revolt if they had to sing "Blueberry Hill" one more time.
The American humor magazine Mad ran a cartoon spread that included fictitious artists with similar name variations, such as "Pudgy Parcheesi".
Singles discography
Nationally charted hits shown in bold. (Virtually all of Domino's singles of the 1950s and 60s charted regionally in the U.S. south, especially in New Orleans.)
A-Side B-Side Year Label + Cat. No. Chart Positions
US Hot 100 US R&B UK
Detroit City Blues The Fat Man 1950 (Imperial 5058) #2
Boogie-Woogie Baby Little Bee 1950 (Imperial 5065)
Hide Away Blues She's My Baby 1950 (Imperial 5077)
Hey La Bas Boogie Brand New Baby 1950 (Imperial 5085)
Every Night about This Time Korea Blues 1950 (Imperial 5099) #5
Tired of Crying What's the Matter Baby 1951 (Imperial 5114)
Don't You Lie to Me Sometimes I Wonder 1951 (Imperial 5123)
Right From Wrong No, No Baby 1951 (Imperial 5138)
Rockin' Chair Careless Love 1951 (Imperial 5145) #9
I'll Be Gone You Know I Miss You 1952 (Imperial 5167)
Goin' Home Reeling and Rocking 1952 (Imperial 5180) #1
Poor Poor Me Trust in Me 1952 (Imperial 5197) #10
How Long Dreaming 1952 Imperial 5209) #9
Nobody Loves Me Cheatin' 1953 (Imperial 5220)
Going to the River Mardi Gras in New Orleans 1953 (Imperial 5231) #2
Please Don't Leave Me The Girl I Love 1953 (Imperial 5240) #3
Rose Mary You Said You Loved Me 1953 (Imperial 5251) #10
Something's Wrong Don't Leave Me This Way 1953 (Imperial 5262) #6
You Done Me Wrong Little School Girl 1954 (Imperial 5272) #10
Where Did You Stay Baby Please 1954 (Imperial 5283)
You Can Pack Your Suitcase I Lived My Life 1954 (Imperial 5301)
Love Me Don't You Hear Me Calling You 1954 (Imperial 5313)
I Know Thinking of You 1954 (Imperial 5323) #14
Don't You Know Helping Hand 1955 (Imperial 5340) #7
Ain't That a Shame La La 1955 (Imperial 5348) #10 #1 #23
All By Myself Troubles of My Own 1955 (Imperial 5357) #1
Poor Me 1955 (Imperial 5369) #1
I Can't Go On 1955 " #6
Bo Weevil 1956 (Imperial 5375) #35 #5
Don't Blame It on Me 1956 " #9
I'm in Love Again 1956 (Imperial 5386) #3 #1 #12
My Blue Heaven 1956 " #19 #5
When My Dreamboat Comes Home 1956 (Imperial 5396) #14 #2
So Long 1956 " #44 #5
Blueberry Hill 1956 (Imperial 5407) #2 #1 #1
Honey Chile 1956 " #2 #29
Blue Monday 1956 (Imperial 5417) #5 #1 #2
What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You 1956 " #50 #12
I'm Walkin' I'm in the Mood for Love 1957 (Imperial 5428) #4 #1 #19
The Rooster Song My Happiness//As Time Goes By//Hey La Bas (4 song EP) 1957 (Imperial 147) #13 #8
Valley of Tears 1957 (Imperial 5442) #8 #2 #25
It's You I Love 1957 " #6 #2
What Will I Tell My Heart 1957 (Imperial 5454) #64 #12
When I See You 1957 " #29 #14
Wait and See 1957 (Imperial 5467) #23 #7
I Still Love You 1957 " #79
The Big Beat 1957 (Imperial 5477) #26 #15 #20
I Want You to Know 1957 " #32
Yes My Darling Don't You Know I Love You 1958 (Imperial 5492) #55 #10
Sick and Tired 1958 (Imperial 5515) #22 #14 #26
No, No 1958 " #55 #14
Little Mary Prisoner's Song 1958 (Imperial 5526) #48 #4
Young School Girl It Must Be Love 1958 (Imperial 5537) #92 #15
Whole Lotta Loving 1958 (Imperial 5553) #6 #2 #10
Coquette 1958 " #92 #26
Telling Lies 1959 (Imperial 5569) #50 #13
When the Saints Go Marching In 1959 " #50
I'm Ready 1959 (Imperial 5585) #16 #7
Margie 1959 " #51 #18
I Want to Walk You Home 1959 (Imperial 5606) #8 #1 #14
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday 1959 " #17 #22
Be My Guest 1959 (Imperial 5629) #8 #2 #11
I've Been Around 1959 " #33 #19
If You Need Me 1960 (Imperial 5645) #98
Country Boy 1960 " #25 #19
Before I Grow Too Old 1960 (Imperial 5660) #84 #17
Tell Me That You Love Me 1960 " #51
Walking to New Orleans 1960 (Imperial 5675) #6 #2 #19
Don't Come Knockin' 1960 " #21 #28
Three Nights a Week 1960 (Imperial 5687) #15 #8 #45
Put Your Arms Around Me Honey 1960 " #58
My Girl Josephine 1960 (Imperial 5704) #14 #7 #32
Natural Born Lover 1960 " #38 #28
Ain't That Just Like a Woman 1961 (Imperial 5723) #33 #19
What a Price 1961 " #22 #7
Shu Rah 1961 (Imperial 5734) #32
Fell in Love on Monday 1961 " #32
It Keeps Rainin' I Just Cry 1961 (Imperial 5753) #23 #18 #49
Let The Four Winds Blow Good Hearted Man 1961 (Imperial 5764) #15 #2
What A Party 1961 (Imperial 5779) #22 #43
Rockin' Bicycle 1961 " #83
I Hear You Knocking 1961 (Imperial 5796) #67
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) 1961 " #30 #41
You Win Again 1962 (Imperial 5816) #22
Ida Jane 1962 " #90
My Real Name My Heart Is Bleeding 1962 (Imperial 5833) #59 #22
Dance with Mr. Domino 1962 (Imperial 5863) #98
Nothing New (Same Old Thing) 1962 " #77
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking 1962 (Imperial 5875) #79
Stop the Clock 1962 " #103
Won't You Come on Back Hands Across the Table 1962 (Imperial 5895)
Hum Diddy Doo Those Eyes 1963 (Imperial 5909) #124
You Always Hurt the One You Love Trouble Blues 1963 (Imperial 5937) #102
True Confession Isle of Capri 1963 (Imperial 5959)
One Night I Can't Go on This Way 1963 (Imperial 5980)
There Goes (My Heart Again) 1963 (ABC 10444) #59
Can't Go on Without You 1963 " #123
When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk) 1963 (ABC 10475) #114
I've Got a Right to Cry 1963 " #128
Red Sails in the Sunset Song For Rosemary 1963 (ABC 10484) #35 #24 #34
I Can't Give You Anything But Love Goin' Home 1963 (Imperial 66005) #114
Who Cares 1963 (ABC 10512) #63 #27
Just a Lonely Man 1963 " #108
Your Cheatin' Heart When I Was Young 1964 (Imperial 66016) #112
Lazy Lady 1964 (ABC 10531) #86 #34
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire 1964 " #122
If You Don't Know What Love Is Something You Got Baby 1964 (ABC 10545)
Mary, Oh Mary Packin' Up 1964 (ABC 10567) #127
Sally Was a Good Old Girl For You 1964 (ABC 10584) #99
Kansas City Heartbreak Hill 1964 (ABC 10596) #99
Why Don't You Do Right Wigs 1965 (ABC 10631)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart Goodnight Sweetheart 1965 (ABC 10644)
I Done Got Over It I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1965 (Mercury 72463)
What's That You Got? It's Never Too Late 1965 (Mercury 72485)
The Lady in Black Working My Way Up Steady 1967 (Broadmoor 104)
Big Mouth Wait 'Til It Happens to You 1967 (Broadmoor 105)
One For The Highway Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better 1968 (Reprise 0696)
Lady Madonna One for the Highway 1968 (Reprise 0763) #100
Lovely Rita Wait 'Till It Happens to You 1968 (Reprise 0775)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey So Swell When You're Well 1969 (Reprise 0843)
Make Me Belong to You Have You Seen My Baby 1970 (Reprise 0891)
New Orleans Ain't the Same Sweet Patootie 1970 (Reprise 0944)
Sleeping on the Job After Hours 1978 (Sonet 2168 -UK)
Whiskey Heaven -- 1980 (Warner Bros. Records 49610)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fats Domino in concert in France, 1992.
Background information
Birth name Antoine Dominique Domino
Also known as Fats
Born February 26, 1928 (1928-02-26) (age 80)
Origin New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Genre(s) R&B (New Orleans)
Rock and roll
Piano blues
Boogie-woogie
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s) Piano
Years active 1949–Present
Label(s) Imperial, ABC, Mercury, Broadmoor, Reprise, Sonet, Warner Bros. Records, Toot Toot
Members
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928) is a classic R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter and (according to Joel Whitburn's Billboard books) was the best selling R&B artist of the 1950s.
Contents
1 Biography
2 Business
3 Trivia
4 References in popular culture
5 Singles discography
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
Biography
Domino was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He first attracted national attention with "The Fat Man" in 1949 on Imperial Records. This song is an early rock and roll record, featuring a rolling piano and Domino doing "wah-wah" vocalizing over a fat back beat. Fats domino then released a series of hit songs with producer and co-writer Dave Bartholomew, saxophonists Herbert Hardesty and Alvin "Red" Tyler and drummer Earl Palmer. Other notable and long-standing musicians in Domino's band were saxophonists Reggie Houston, Lee Allen, and Fred Kemp, who was also Domino's trusted bandleader. Domino finally crossed into the pop mainstream with "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), which hit the Top Ten, though Pat Boone characteristically hit #1 with a milder cover of the song that received wider radio airplay in a racially-segregated era. Domino would eventually release 37 Top 40 singles, "Whole Lotta Loving" and "Blue Monday" among them.
His 1956 uptempo version of the 1940 Vincent Rose, Al Lewis & Larry Stock song, "Blueberry Hill" reached #2 in the Top 40, was #1 on the R&B charts for 11 weeks, and was his biggest hit. "Blueberry Hill" sold more than 5 million copies worldwide in 1956-57. The song had earlier been recorded by Gene Autry, and Louis Armstrong among many others.
Fats appeared in two films released in 1956: Shake, Rattle & Rock![1] and The Girl Can't Help It.[2] On December 18, 1957, Domino's hit "The Big Beat" was featured on Dick Clark's American Bandstand.
Domino continued to have a steady series of hits for Imperial through early 1962, including "Walkin' to New Orleans" (1960) written by Bobby Charles. Twenty-two of his Imperial singles were double-sided hits. After he moved to ABC-Paramount Records in 1963, however, Domino's chart career was drastically curtailed. He had a hit with "Red Sails In The Sunset" (1963) but by the end of 1964, the British Invasion had changed the tastes of the record-buying public, and Domino's chart run was over.
Despite the lack of chart success, Domino continued to record steadily until about 1970, and sporadically after that. He also continued as a popular live act for several decades. He was furthermore acknowledged as an important influence on the music of the 1960s and 1970s by some of the top artists of that era; Paul McCartney reportedly wrote the Beatles song "Lady Madonna" in an emulation of Domino's style. Domino did manage to return to the "Hot 100" charts a final time in 1968.
In the 1980s, Domino decided he would no longer leave New Orleans, having a comfortable income from royalties and a dislike for touring, and claiming he could not get any food that he liked anyplace else. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and an invitation to perform at the White House failed to persuade Domino to make an exception to this policy.
Fats Domino was persuaded to perform periodically out of town, by Dianna Chenevert, agent, founder & president of New Orleans based Omni Attractions, during the 1980s & early 1990s. Most of these engagements were in and around New Orleans, but sometimes included Texas (like at the West End Market Place in downtown Dallas on Oct. 24, 1986).
On October 12, 1983 USA Today reported that Domino was included in Chenevert’s "Southern Stars" promotional poster for the agency (along with historically preserving childhood photographs of other famous living musicians from New Orleans & Louisiana on it). Fats provided a photograph of his first recording session for the poster, which was the only one he had left from his childhood. Domino autographed these posters, whose recipients included USA Today's president Al Newharth, and Peter Morton founder of the Hard Rock Cafe. Times-Picayune columnist Betty Guillaud noted on September 30, 1987 that Domino also provided Chenevert with an autographed pair of his shoes (and signed a black grand piano lid) for the Hard Rock location in New Orleans. Back then none of us knew what the future would hold for New Orleans in 2005 and how much these little bits of memorabilia would bring some comfort, after so much loss.
Domino lived in a mansion in a predominantly working-class Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, where he was a familiar sight in his bright pink Cadillac. He makes yearly appearances at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and other local events. Domino was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #25 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time."[3]
Graffitti on Domino's home from the time he was rumored dead
Fats Domino's office, June 2007When Hurricane Katrina was approaching New Orleans in August 2005, Dianna Chenevert tried to encourage Fats to evacuate, but he chose to stay at home with his family, partly owing to his wife's poor health. Unfortunately his house was in an area that was heavily flooded. Chenevert e-mailed writers at the Times Picayune newspaper hoping they could relay the information with the Domino's location to authorities & they could be rescued.
Someone thought Fats was dead, and spray-painted a message on his home, "RIP Fats. You will be missed", which was shown in news photos. On September 1, Domino's agent, Al Embry, announced that he had not heard from the musician since before the hurricane had struck.
Later that day, CNN reported that Domino was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. His daughter, gospel singer Karen Domino White, identified him from a photo shown on CNN. The Domino family was then taken to a Baton Rouge shelter, after which they were picked up by JaMarcus Russell, the starting quarterback of the Louisiana State University football team, and Fats' granddaughter's boyfriend. He let the Dominoes stay in his apartment. The Washington Post reported that on September 2, they had left Russell's apartment after sleeping three nights on the couch. "We've lost everything," Domino said, according to the Post.[4]
By January 2006, work to gut and repair Domino's home and office had begun. For the meantime, the Domino family is residing in Harvey, Louisiana.
Many have done what they could to help ease some of the pain for Fats Domino and others in New Orleans. Some offerings were big and some small. Chenevert replaced the Southern Stars poster Fats Domino lost and President George W. Bush also made a personal visit and replaced the medal that President Bill Clinton had previously awarded Domino.
Domino was the first artist to be announced as scheduled to perform at the 2006 Jazz & Heritage Festival.However, he was too ill to perform when scheduled and was only able to offer the audience an on-stage greeting. Domino also released an album Alive and Kickin' in early 2006 to benefit the Tipitina's Foundation, which supports indigent local musicians. The title song was recorded after Katrina, but most of the cuts were from unreleased sessions in the 1990s.
On January 12, 2007, Domino was honored with OffBeat magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Best of the Beat Awards held at House of Blues in New Orleans. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin declared the day "Fats Domino Day in New Orleans" and presented Fats Domino with a signed declaration. OffBeat publisher Jan Ramsey and WWL-TV's Eric Paulsen presented Fats Domino with the Lifetime Achievement Award. An all-star musical tribute followed with an introduction by the legendary producer Cosimo Matassa. The Lil' Band O' Gold rhythm section, Warren Storm, Kenny Bill Stinson, David Egan and C.C. Adcock, not only anchored the band, but each contributed lead vocals, swamp pop legend Warren Storm leading off with "Let the Four Winds Blow" and "The Prisoner Song," which he proudly introduced by saying, "Fats Domino recorded this in 1958.. and so did I." The horn section included Lil' Band O' Gold's Dickie Landry, the Iguanas' Derek Huston, and long-time Domino horn men Roger Lewis, Elliot "Stackman" Callier and Herb Hardesty. They were joined by Jon Cleary (who also played guitar in the rhythm section), Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, Irma Thomas, George Porter, Jr. (who, naturally, came up with a funky arrangement for "You Keep On Knocking"), Art Neville, Dr. John and Allen Toussaint, who wrote and debuted a song in tribute of Domino for the occasion. Though Domino didn't perform, those near him recall him playing air piano and singing along to his own songs.
Fats Domino returned to stage on May 19, 2007, at Tipitina's at New Orleans, performing to a full house. A foundation has been formed and a show is being planned for Domino and the restoration of his home, where he intends to return someday. "I like it down there" he said in a February, 2006 CBS News interview.[5]
In September 2007, Domino was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
In December 2007, Fats Domino was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Statue of Fats Domino in the French Quarter of New Orleans
Business
His career has been produced and managed since the 1980s by multimedia entertainment purveyor and music producer Robert G. Vernon.
Since 1995, Vernon and Domino have been partners (with many other companies, such as Dick Clark Productions) in the Bobkat Music Trust. Bobkat Music is an entertainment group that manages the careers (some posthumous) of Domino, Randy Pringle (writer), and other artists.
On February 26th, 2008, Fats Domino joined Chuck Berry on the extremely short list of pop legends who have survived to see their eightieth birthday.
Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
In 1999, National Public Radio included "Ain't That A Shame" in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
A play on his name is the name of the gospel music group Fetz Domino, which means in mixed German and Latin "Groove for the Lord".
'50s blues singer Skinny Dynamo had a brief career.
Domino had 66 US Hot 100 chart hits. (James Brown had 99.)
Domino has always had strong links to The Beatles, who recorded a version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" in Germany, two years after Fats' version on Imperial Records. When they auditioned for Decca, one of their songs was another standard in Domino's repertory: "The Sheik of Araby".
In his song "I Want to Walk You Home", Domino used the words "I want to hold your hand" which may have inspired Lennon and McCartney when writing their song of the same title. In 1968, the Beatles modeled their song, "Lady Madonna", on Fats Domino's style, combining it with a nod to Humphrey Lyttelton's 1956 hit "Bad Penny Blues", a record which Joe Meek had engineered. They also played some hits of the 1950s and early 1960s, including Domino's "Kansas City", during the Get Back album sessions.
Domino returned the compliment in 1968 by covering not only "Lady Madonna", but two other Beatles songs, for his Reprise LP Fats Is Back. Since then, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney have recorded Fats Domino songs.
I Want to Walk You Home was used in two Public information films by the Irish Department of the Environment, highlighting the dangers of being distracted on roads.
Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans) got his stage name as a play on Fats Domino's name.
He appeared in a commercial for a brand of plastic food-storage bag. Various people had been shown holding and shaking these bags filled with various food items (including an obviously unhappy kid saying "shake, shake, shake--your spinach!"). At the end, Domino appears, in front of his piano, with such a bag containing blueberries. He sings, "shake, shake, shake your blueberries--on Blueberry Hill!"
References in popular culture
In the popular 1970s sitcom Happy Days, set in the 1950s, lead character Richie Cunningham (played by Ron Howard) would often sing "I found my thrill..." (the first line of Domino's "Blueberry Hill") in reference to pretty girls he dated or wanted to date.
The fictional girl band in the television series Rock Follies threatened to revolt if they had to sing "Blueberry Hill" one more time.
The American humor magazine Mad ran a cartoon spread that included fictitious artists with similar name variations, such as "Pudgy Parcheesi".
Singles discography
Nationally charted hits shown in bold. (Virtually all of Domino's singles of the 1950s and 60s charted regionally in the U.S. south, especially in New Orleans.)
A-Side B-Side Year Label + Cat. No. Chart Positions
US Hot 100 US R&B UK
Detroit City Blues The Fat Man 1950 (Imperial 5058) #2
Boogie-Woogie Baby Little Bee 1950 (Imperial 5065)
Hide Away Blues She's My Baby 1950 (Imperial 5077)
Hey La Bas Boogie Brand New Baby 1950 (Imperial 5085)
Every Night about This Time Korea Blues 1950 (Imperial 5099) #5
Tired of Crying What's the Matter Baby 1951 (Imperial 5114)
Don't You Lie to Me Sometimes I Wonder 1951 (Imperial 5123)
Right From Wrong No, No Baby 1951 (Imperial 5138)
Rockin' Chair Careless Love 1951 (Imperial 5145) #9
I'll Be Gone You Know I Miss You 1952 (Imperial 5167)
Goin' Home Reeling and Rocking 1952 (Imperial 5180) #1
Poor Poor Me Trust in Me 1952 (Imperial 5197) #10
How Long Dreaming 1952 Imperial 5209) #9
Nobody Loves Me Cheatin' 1953 (Imperial 5220)
Going to the River Mardi Gras in New Orleans 1953 (Imperial 5231) #2
Please Don't Leave Me The Girl I Love 1953 (Imperial 5240) #3
Rose Mary You Said You Loved Me 1953 (Imperial 5251) #10
Something's Wrong Don't Leave Me This Way 1953 (Imperial 5262) #6
You Done Me Wrong Little School Girl 1954 (Imperial 5272) #10
Where Did You Stay Baby Please 1954 (Imperial 5283)
You Can Pack Your Suitcase I Lived My Life 1954 (Imperial 5301)
Love Me Don't You Hear Me Calling You 1954 (Imperial 5313)
I Know Thinking of You 1954 (Imperial 5323) #14
Don't You Know Helping Hand 1955 (Imperial 5340) #7
Ain't That a Shame La La 1955 (Imperial 5348) #10 #1 #23
All By Myself Troubles of My Own 1955 (Imperial 5357) #1
Poor Me 1955 (Imperial 5369) #1
I Can't Go On 1955 " #6
Bo Weevil 1956 (Imperial 5375) #35 #5
Don't Blame It on Me 1956 " #9
I'm in Love Again 1956 (Imperial 5386) #3 #1 #12
My Blue Heaven 1956 " #19 #5
When My Dreamboat Comes Home 1956 (Imperial 5396) #14 #2
So Long 1956 " #44 #5
Blueberry Hill 1956 (Imperial 5407) #2 #1 #1
Honey Chile 1956 " #2 #29
Blue Monday 1956 (Imperial 5417) #5 #1 #2
What's the Reason I'm Not Pleasing You 1956 " #50 #12
I'm Walkin' I'm in the Mood for Love 1957 (Imperial 5428) #4 #1 #19
The Rooster Song My Happiness//As Time Goes By//Hey La Bas (4 song EP) 1957 (Imperial 147) #13 #8
Valley of Tears 1957 (Imperial 5442) #8 #2 #25
It's You I Love 1957 " #6 #2
What Will I Tell My Heart 1957 (Imperial 5454) #64 #12
When I See You 1957 " #29 #14
Wait and See 1957 (Imperial 5467) #23 #7
I Still Love You 1957 " #79
The Big Beat 1957 (Imperial 5477) #26 #15 #20
I Want You to Know 1957 " #32
Yes My Darling Don't You Know I Love You 1958 (Imperial 5492) #55 #10
Sick and Tired 1958 (Imperial 5515) #22 #14 #26
No, No 1958 " #55 #14
Little Mary Prisoner's Song 1958 (Imperial 5526) #48 #4
Young School Girl It Must Be Love 1958 (Imperial 5537) #92 #15
Whole Lotta Loving 1958 (Imperial 5553) #6 #2 #10
Coquette 1958 " #92 #26
Telling Lies 1959 (Imperial 5569) #50 #13
When the Saints Go Marching In 1959 " #50
I'm Ready 1959 (Imperial 5585) #16 #7
Margie 1959 " #51 #18
I Want to Walk You Home 1959 (Imperial 5606) #8 #1 #14
I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday 1959 " #17 #22
Be My Guest 1959 (Imperial 5629) #8 #2 #11
I've Been Around 1959 " #33 #19
If You Need Me 1960 (Imperial 5645) #98
Country Boy 1960 " #25 #19
Before I Grow Too Old 1960 (Imperial 5660) #84 #17
Tell Me That You Love Me 1960 " #51
Walking to New Orleans 1960 (Imperial 5675) #6 #2 #19
Don't Come Knockin' 1960 " #21 #28
Three Nights a Week 1960 (Imperial 5687) #15 #8 #45
Put Your Arms Around Me Honey 1960 " #58
My Girl Josephine 1960 (Imperial 5704) #14 #7 #32
Natural Born Lover 1960 " #38 #28
Ain't That Just Like a Woman 1961 (Imperial 5723) #33 #19
What a Price 1961 " #22 #7
Shu Rah 1961 (Imperial 5734) #32
Fell in Love on Monday 1961 " #32
It Keeps Rainin' I Just Cry 1961 (Imperial 5753) #23 #18 #49
Let The Four Winds Blow Good Hearted Man 1961 (Imperial 5764) #15 #2
What A Party 1961 (Imperial 5779) #22 #43
Rockin' Bicycle 1961 " #83
I Hear You Knocking 1961 (Imperial 5796) #67
Jambalaya (On the Bayou) 1961 " #30 #41
You Win Again 1962 (Imperial 5816) #22
Ida Jane 1962 " #90
My Real Name My Heart Is Bleeding 1962 (Imperial 5833) #59 #22
Dance with Mr. Domino 1962 (Imperial 5863) #98
Nothing New (Same Old Thing) 1962 " #77
Did You Ever See a Dream Walking 1962 (Imperial 5875) #79
Stop the Clock 1962 " #103
Won't You Come on Back Hands Across the Table 1962 (Imperial 5895)
Hum Diddy Doo Those Eyes 1963 (Imperial 5909) #124
You Always Hurt the One You Love Trouble Blues 1963 (Imperial 5937) #102
True Confession Isle of Capri 1963 (Imperial 5959)
One Night I Can't Go on This Way 1963 (Imperial 5980)
There Goes (My Heart Again) 1963 (ABC 10444) #59
Can't Go on Without You 1963 " #123
When I'm Walking (Let Me Walk) 1963 (ABC 10475) #114
I've Got a Right to Cry 1963 " #128
Red Sails in the Sunset Song For Rosemary 1963 (ABC 10484) #35 #24 #34
I Can't Give You Anything But Love Goin' Home 1963 (Imperial 66005) #114
Who Cares 1963 (ABC 10512) #63 #27
Just a Lonely Man 1963 " #108
Your Cheatin' Heart When I Was Young 1964 (Imperial 66016) #112
Lazy Lady 1964 (ABC 10531) #86 #34
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire 1964 " #122
If You Don't Know What Love Is Something You Got Baby 1964 (ABC 10545)
Mary, Oh Mary Packin' Up 1964 (ABC 10567) #127
Sally Was a Good Old Girl For You 1964 (ABC 10584) #99
Kansas City Heartbreak Hill 1964 (ABC 10596) #99
Why Don't You Do Right Wigs 1965 (ABC 10631)
Let Me Call You Sweetheart Goodnight Sweetheart 1965 (ABC 10644)
I Done Got Over It I Left My Heart In San Francisco 1965 (Mercury 72463)
What's That You Got? It's Never Too Late 1965 (Mercury 72485)
The Lady in Black Working My Way Up Steady 1967 (Broadmoor 104)
Big Mouth Wait 'Til It Happens to You 1967 (Broadmoor 105)
One For The Highway Honest Papas Love Their Mamas Better 1968 (Reprise 0696)
Lady Madonna One for the Highway 1968 (Reprise 0763) #100
Lovely Rita Wait 'Till It Happens to You 1968 (Reprise 0775)
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey So Swell When You're Well 1969 (Reprise 0843)
Make Me Belong to You Have You Seen My Baby 1970 (Reprise 0891)
New Orleans Ain't the Same Sweet Patootie 1970 (Reprise 0944)
Sleeping on the Job After Hours 1978 (Sonet 2168 -UK)
Whiskey Heaven -- 1980 (Warner Bros. Records 49610)
March 05, 2008
About Ricky Nelson
Ricky Nelson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born May 8, 1940(1940-05-08)
Origin Teaneck, New Jersey
Died December 31, 1985 (aged 45)
Genre(s) Rockabilly, Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Pop
Occupation(s) Actor, Rockabilly/Rock n roll singer
Years active 1957-1985
Label(s) Imperial, Decca (MCA)
Associated acts Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Carl Perkins
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 –December 31, 1985), was an American singer, musician, and actor.
* 1 Biography
o 1.1 Early years
o 1.2 Career
o 1.3 Marriage, family, and troubles
o 1.4 Death
+ 1.4.1 Crash
o 1.5 Tributes
* 2 Albums
* 3 Singles discography
* 4 Literature
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Biography
Early years
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer. Along with brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons were played by professional actors.
Career
Ricky Nelson began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin'", seeking to impress a date who was an Elvis Presley fan — Nelson's first song was a hit, reaching #4 on the charts. Soon, each episode of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical performance by "Ricky". It was during the sitcom's run that Ozzie Nelson, either as a move to keep his son's fans tuned in each week, or as an affirmation of his reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept Ricky from appearing on other TV shows that arguably would have enhanced his public profile, American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Ironically, Rick finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career was at that time in limbo. Rick also appeared on other TV shows (usually in acting roles). In 1977, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, where he proved to be a good sport in spoofing his TV sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, where, always trying to go "home", he'd find himself among the characters from other 1950s/early '60s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Make Room for Daddy.
Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol, largely due to his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he also played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis may have served as the catalyst for Rick's musical career, his real inspiration came from none other than Carl Perkins.
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on August 4, 1958, Nelson's single "Poor Little Fool" became the first song ever in the #1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Hello Mary Lou", "It's Late", "Stood Up", and "Be-Bop Baby", his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town", and "Teenage Idol", which clearly could have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly coined the phrase "teen idol" in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).[citation needed]
In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". However, not too long before his untimely death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who, while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", called Nelson "Ricky". As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then instructed to restore the "y" to his name.[citation needed]
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no further major hits after 1964's "For You". In the mid-1960s, he began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result, he was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band. This most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with "Garden Party", a song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s. "Garden Party" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, "Garden Party" was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10 single, "Burning Love", as was Chuck Berry with "My Ding-a-Ling". (Berry is among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of "Garden Party".)
Marriage, family, and troubles
Nelson married Kristin Harmon in April 1963, in what Life referred to as "The Wedding of the Year". Harmon is the daughter of Football All-American University of Michigan football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox, and is the older sister of movie and television star Mark Harmon, perhaps known best for the hit series NCIS.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar and Matthew (born September 20, 1967), and a third son, Sam Nelson (born August 29, 1974).
After "Garden Party", Ricky Nelson never regained his career's momentum. By the late 1970s, his life was in shambles and he was heavily in debt. After a highly tumultuous marriage (the antithesis of what the public had seen on Ozzie and Harriet and in Love and Kisses), Kristin filed for divorce and took their four children. He wasn't making records and when he played live at all, it was in very small insignificant venues. Nelson began using drugs, especially marijuana and eventually cocaine.
Death
In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success, and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Holly had also perished in a plane crash.
Crash
Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently resurface, but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the crash was probably due to mechanical problems. The pilots attempted to land in a field after smoke filled the cabin. An examination indicated that a fire originated in the right hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the floor line. The passengers were killed when the aircraft struck obstacles during the forced landing; the pilots were able to escape through the cockpit windows and survived. The ignition and fuel sources of the fire could not be determined, although many believe that the most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The pilot indicated that the crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly shortly before the fire occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the fire, the access panel to the heater compartment was found unlatched. The theory is supported by records that showed that DC-3s in general, and this aircraft in particular, had a previous history of problems with the cabin heaters.
Tributes
Nelson was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and also to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1515 Vine Street.
Nelson's twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, also were teen idols, performing as the band Nelson and charting several hits in the 1990s. His daughter, Tracy Nelson, is an actress and cancer survivor. She may be best known for her role in the television series Father Dowling Mysteries, which starred Tom Bosley. Nelson's youngest son, Sam Nelson, is a music industry executive.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Ricky Nelson's passing, PBS aired a one hour documentary entitled Ricky Nelson Sings, featuring interviews with his children, as well as James Burton and Kris Kristofferson. The only time Kristofferson played with Ricky Nelson was in Elroy, Wisconsin at a "Party in the Park" show on July 3, 1985. That performance has since been released on DVD.
The song "Ricky" (originally titled "Ricky Nelson"), track 4 on John Frusciante's 2004 album Shadows Collide with People, is a tribute to Nelson, and is sung in a similar style.
Bob Dylan, in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Vol. 1, wrote about Nelson's influence on his music. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Nelson #91 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1]
On December 27, 2005, EMI Music released an album titled Ricky Nelson's Greatest Hits, with 25 songs. It peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In Stephen King's short-story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Nelson appears in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" as an evil version of himself, who torments an unsuspecting couple trapped in a town inhabited by late rock 'n' roll legends. Nelson was portrayed by William McNamara in the 2006 television mini-series adaptation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.
Nelson's estate is run as The Rick Nelson Company, LLC, and owns ancillary rights to the classic Ozzie and Harriet television series. As of 2007, after years of public domain video releases on VHS and DVD, an official edition of the show has been released via Shout! Factory.
Albums
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts.)
* Ricky (1957) (1)
* Ricky Nelson (1958) (7)
* Ricky Sings Again (1959) (14)
* Songs by Ricky (1959) (22)
* More Songs by Ricky (1960) (18)
* Rick Is 21 (1961) (8)
* Album Seven by Rick (1962) (27)
* Best Sellers By Rick Nelson (1963) (112)
* It's Up to You (1963) (128)
* For Your Sweet Love (1963) (20)
* Rick Nelson Sings "For You" (1964) (14)
* A Long Vacation (1963)
* The Very Thought of You (1964)
* Best Always (1965)
* Spotlight on Rick (1965)
* Bright Lights & Country Music (1966)
* Love and Kisses (1966)
* Country Fever (1967)
* I Need You (1968)
* Perspective (1968)
* Another Side of Rick (1969)
* In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 (1970)
* Rick Nelson in Concert (1970) (54)
* Rick Sings Nelson (1970) (196)
* Rudy the Fifth (1971)
* Garden Party (1972) (32)
* Windfall (1974) (190)
* Intakes (1977)
* Playing to Win (1981) (153)
Singles discography
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts. When listed twice - 17/2 means that both sides charted individually)
* "I'm Walkin'" / "A Teenager's Romance" (Verve 10047) (17/2)
* "You're My One and Only Love" / "Honey Rock" (Verve 10070) (14)
* "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You" / "Be Bop Baby" (Imperial 5463) (29/3)
* "Stood Up" / "Waitin' in School" (Imperial 5483) (2/18)
* "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" / "Believe What You Say" (Imperial 5503) (18/4)
* "Poor Little Fool" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Imperial 5528) (7)
* "Lonesome Town" / "I Got a Feeling" (Imperial 5545) (7/10)
* "It's Late" / "Never Be Anyone Else but You" (Imperial 5565) (9/6)
* "Just a Little Too Much" / "Sweeter Than You" (Imperial 5595) (9/9)
* "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Mighty Good" (Imperial 5614) (20/38)
* "Young Emotions" / "Right by My Side" (Imperial 5663) (12/59)
* "I'm Not Afraid" / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (Imperial 5685) (27/34)
* "You Are the Only One" / "Milk Cow Blues" (Imperial 5707) (25/79)
* "Travelin' Man" / "Hello Mary Lou" (Imperial 5741) (1/9)
* "A Wonder Like You" / "Everlovin'" (Imperial 5770) (11/16)
* "Young World" / "Summertime" (Imperial 5805) (5/89)
* "Teen Age Idol" / "I've Got My Eyes on You (And I Like What I See)" (Imperial 5864) (5/105)
* "It's Up to You" / "I Need You" (Imperial 5901) (6/83)
* "I'm in Love Again" / "That's All" (Imperial 5910) (67/48)
* "You Don't Love Me Anymore (And I Can Tell)" / "I Got a Woman" (Decca 31475) (47/49)
* "If You Can't Rock Me" / "Old Enough to Love" (Imperial 5935) (100/94)
* "A Long Vacation" / "Mad Mad World" (Imperial 5958) (120)
* "Gypsy Woman" / "String Along" (Decca 31495) (62/25)
* "There's Not A Minute" / "Time After Time" (Imperial 5985) (127)
* "Fools Rush In" / "Down Home" (Decca 31533) (12/126)
* "Today's Teardrops" / "Thank You Darlin'" (Imperial 66004) (54)
* "For You" / "That's All She Wrote" (Decca 31574) (9)
* "Congratulations" / "One Minute to One" (Imperial 66017) (63)
* "The Very Thought of You" / "I Wonder (If Your Love Will Belong to Me)" (Decca 31612) (26)
* "Lucky Star" / "Everybody but Me" (Imperial 66039) (127)
* "There's Nothing I Can Say" / "Lonely Corner" (Decca 31656) (47/113)
* "A Happy Guy" / "Don't Breathe a Word" (Decca 31703) (82)
* "Mean Old World" / "When the Chips Are Down" (Decca 31756) (96)
* "Come Out Dancing" / "Yesterday's Love" (Decca 31800) (130)
* "Say You Love Me" / "Love and Kisses" (Decca 31845)
* "Fire Breathin' Dragon" / "Your Kind of Lovin' (Decca 31900)
* "You Just Can't Quit" / "Louisiana Man" (Decca 31956) (108)
* "Things You Gave Me" / "Alone" (Decca 32026)
* "They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)" / "Take a Broken Heart" (Decca 32055)
* "Take a City Bride" / "I'm Called Lonely" (Decca 32120)
* "Suzanne on a Sunday Morning" / "Moonshine" (Decca 32176)
* "Dream Weaver" / "Baby Close Its Eyes" (Decca 32222)
* "Don't Blame It on Your Wife" / "Promenade in Green" (Decca 32284)
* "Don't Make Promises" / "Barefoot Boy" (Decca 32298)
* "She Belongs to Me" / "Promises" (Decca 32558) (33)
* "Easy to Be Free" / "Come on In" (Decca 32635) (48)
* "I Shall Be Released" / "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (Decca 32676) (102)
* "Look at Mary" / "We've Got Such a Long Way to Go" (Decca 32711)
* "How Long" / "Down Along the Bayou Country" (Decca 32739)
* "Life" / "California" (Decca 32779) (109)
* "Thank You Lord" / "Sing Me a Song" (Decca 32860)
* "Gypsy Pilot" / "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" (Decca 32906)
* "Garden Party" / "So Long Mama" (Decca 32980) (6)
* "Palace Guard" / "A Flower Opens Gently By" (MCA 40001) (65)
* "Lifestream" / "Evil Woman Child" (MCA 40130)
* "Windfall" / "Legacy" (MCA 40187)
* "One Night Stand" / "Lifestream" (MCA 40214)
* "Try (Try to Fall in Love)" / "Louisiana Belle" (MCA 40392)
* "Rock and Roll Lady" / "Fade Away" (MCA 40458)
* "You Can't Dance" / "It's Another Day" (Epic 50458)
* "Gimme a Little Sign" / "Something You Can't Buy" (Epic 50501)
* "Dream Lover" / "That Ain't the Way Love's Supposed to Be" (Epic 50674)
* "It Hasn't Happened Yet" / "Call It What You Want" (Capitol 4974)
* "Believe What You Say" / "The Loser Babe Is You" (Capitol 4988)
* "Give 'em My Number" / "No Fair Falling in Love" (Capitol 5178)
* "You Know What I Mean" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (MCA 52781)
* "Dream Lover" / "Rave On" (Epic 06066)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Background information
Birth name Eric Hilliard Nelson
Born May 8, 1940(1940-05-08)
Origin Teaneck, New Jersey
Died December 31, 1985 (aged 45)
Genre(s) Rockabilly, Rock, Rock 'n' Roll, Pop
Occupation(s) Actor, Rockabilly/Rock n roll singer
Years active 1957-1985
Label(s) Imperial, Decca (MCA)
Associated acts Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Carl Perkins
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson (May 8, 1940 –December 31, 1985), was an American singer, musician, and actor.
* 1 Biography
o 1.1 Early years
o 1.2 Career
o 1.3 Marriage, family, and troubles
o 1.4 Death
+ 1.4.1 Crash
o 1.5 Tributes
* 2 Albums
* 3 Singles discography
* 4 Literature
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Biography
Early years
Born in Teaneck, New Jersey, he was the younger son of Ozzie Nelson, the leader of a big band, and Harriet Hilliard Nelson, the band's singer. Along with brother David Nelson, the family starred in the long-running radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet from 1944 to 1954 on the radio, and 1952 to 1966 on television. However, David and Ricky Nelson did not join the cast until 1949; for the first five years of the radio show, the sons were played by professional actors.
Career
Ricky Nelson began a rock and roll music career in 1957. He recorded his debut single, the Fats Domino song "I'm Walkin'", seeking to impress a date who was an Elvis Presley fan — Nelson's first song was a hit, reaching #4 on the charts. Soon, each episode of the Ozzie & Harriet television show ended with a musical performance by "Ricky". It was during the sitcom's run that Ozzie Nelson, either as a move to keep his son's fans tuned in each week, or as an affirmation of his reputed behind-the-scenes persona as a controlling personality, kept Ricky from appearing on other TV shows that arguably would have enhanced his public profile, American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show in particular. Ironically, Rick finally did appear on the Sullivan show in 1967, but his career was at that time in limbo. Rick also appeared on other TV shows (usually in acting roles). In 1977, he guest-hosted on Saturday Night Live, where he proved to be a good sport in spoofing his TV sitcom image by appearing in a Twilight Zone send-up, where, always trying to go "home", he'd find himself among the characters from other 1950s/early '60s-era sitcoms, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and Make Room for Daddy.
Despite the promotional aspects of his career, it is clear that Nelson knew and loved music, and was a creditable performer before he became a teen idol, largely due to his parents' musical background. In addition to guitar, he also played drums and the clarinet. (He showcased his drum skills in the same episode where he made his singing debut.) Unlike many teen idols of the time, Nelson showed his personal taste in working with strong musicians, including James Burton, Joe Maphis, The Jordanaires, and Johnny and Dorsey Burnette. While Elvis may have served as the catalyst for Rick's musical career, his real inspiration came from none other than Carl Perkins.
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
One of Ricky Nelson's best-selling singles, "Hello Mary Lou" / "Travelin' Man"
From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had thirty Top-40 hits, more than any other artist at the time except Elvis Presley (who had 53) and Pat Boone (who had 38). Many of Nelson's early records were double hits with both the A side and the B side hitting the Billboard charts. When Billboard introduced the Hot 100 chart on August 4, 1958, Nelson's single "Poor Little Fool" became the first song ever in the #1 position on that chart.
While Nelson preferred rockabilly and uptempo rock songs like "Hello Mary Lou", "It's Late", "Stood Up", and "Be-Bop Baby", his smooth, calm voice made him a natural to sing ballads. He had major success with "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little Fool", "Young World", "Lonesome Town", and "Teenage Idol", which clearly could have been about Nelson himself at the time. (It was Life magazine that reputedly coined the phrase "teen idol" in an article it did about Nelson in 1959).[citation needed]
In addition to his recording career, Nelson also appeared in movies, including Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin (1959), The Wackiest Ship In the Army (1960), and Love and Kisses (1965).
On May 8, 1961 (his 21st birthday), Nelson officially changed his recording name from "Ricky Nelson" to "Rick Nelson". However, not too long before his untimely death, Rick realized a dream of his, when he met his idol, Carl Perkins, who, while musing that they were the last of the "rockabilly breed", called Nelson "Ricky". As the story goes, Nelson felt somehow validated by Perkins calling him by the name he stopped using at age 21. He then contacted his manager, who was then instructed to restore the "y" to his name.[citation needed]
In 1963, Nelson signed a 20-year contract with Decca Records, but he had no further major hits after 1964's "For You". In the mid-1960s, he began to move towards country music, becoming a pioneer in the country-rock genre. As a result, he was one of the early influences of the so-called "California Sound" (which would include singers like Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and other bands like The Eagles). Yet Nelson himself did not reach the Top 40 again until 1970, when he recorded Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" with the Stone Canyon Band. This most likely included drummer Kevin Edwards, who still lives to tell his story today. In 1972, Nelson reached the Top 40 one last time with "Garden Party", a song he wrote in disgust after a Madison Square Garden audience booed him when he tried playing new songs instead of just his old hits from the 1950s and 1960s. "Garden Party" reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, and was certified as a gold single. (Coincidentally, "Garden Party" was a hit at the same time Elvis Presley was having his last Top-10 single, "Burning Love", as was Chuck Berry with "My Ding-a-Ling". (Berry is among the musicians alluded to in the lyrics of "Garden Party".)
Marriage, family, and troubles
Nelson married Kristin Harmon in April 1963, in what Life referred to as "The Wedding of the Year". Harmon is the daughter of Football All-American University of Michigan football legend and Heisman Trophy winner Tom Harmon and actress Elyse Knox, and is the older sister of movie and television star Mark Harmon, perhaps known best for the hit series NCIS.
The couple had one daughter, Tracy (born October 25, 1963), twin sons Gunnar and Matthew (born September 20, 1967), and a third son, Sam Nelson (born August 29, 1974).
After "Garden Party", Ricky Nelson never regained his career's momentum. By the late 1970s, his life was in shambles and he was heavily in debt. After a highly tumultuous marriage (the antithesis of what the public had seen on Ozzie and Harriet and in Love and Kisses), Kristin filed for divorce and took their four children. He wasn't making records and when he played live at all, it was in very small insignificant venues. Nelson began using drugs, especially marijuana and eventually cocaine.
Death
In 1985, Nelson joined a nostalgia rock tour of England. It was a major success, and it revived some interest in his work. He tried to duplicate that effect in the United States, and he began a tour of the South. While on that tour, on his way to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas, Texas, he died in a plane crash in De Kalb, Texas. Nelson was buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. The last song he sang on stage before his death was Buddy Holly's "Rave On." Holly had also perished in a plane crash.
Crash
Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently resurface, but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the crash was probably due to mechanical problems. The pilots attempted to land in a field after smoke filled the cabin. An examination indicated that a fire originated in the right hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the floor line. The passengers were killed when the aircraft struck obstacles during the forced landing; the pilots were able to escape through the cockpit windows and survived. The ignition and fuel sources of the fire could not be determined, although many believe that the most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The pilot indicated that the crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly shortly before the fire occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the fire, the access panel to the heater compartment was found unlatched. The theory is supported by records that showed that DC-3s in general, and this aircraft in particular, had a previous history of problems with the cabin heaters.
Tributes
Nelson was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and also to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1515 Vine Street.
Nelson's twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, also were teen idols, performing as the band Nelson and charting several hits in the 1990s. His daughter, Tracy Nelson, is an actress and cancer survivor. She may be best known for her role in the television series Father Dowling Mysteries, which starred Tom Bosley. Nelson's youngest son, Sam Nelson, is a music industry executive.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Ricky Nelson's passing, PBS aired a one hour documentary entitled Ricky Nelson Sings, featuring interviews with his children, as well as James Burton and Kris Kristofferson. The only time Kristofferson played with Ricky Nelson was in Elroy, Wisconsin at a "Party in the Park" show on July 3, 1985. That performance has since been released on DVD.
The song "Ricky" (originally titled "Ricky Nelson"), track 4 on John Frusciante's 2004 album Shadows Collide with People, is a tribute to Nelson, and is sung in a similar style.
Bob Dylan, in his 2004 memoir, Chronicles, Vol. 1, wrote about Nelson's influence on his music. Also in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Nelson #91 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[1]
On December 27, 2005, EMI Music released an album titled Ricky Nelson's Greatest Hits, with 25 songs. It peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
In Stephen King's short-story collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Nelson appears in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band" as an evil version of himself, who torments an unsuspecting couple trapped in a town inhabited by late rock 'n' roll legends. Nelson was portrayed by William McNamara in the 2006 television mini-series adaptation, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King.
Nelson's estate is run as The Rick Nelson Company, LLC, and owns ancillary rights to the classic Ozzie and Harriet television series. As of 2007, after years of public domain video releases on VHS and DVD, an official edition of the show has been released via Shout! Factory.
Albums
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts.)
* Ricky (1957) (1)
* Ricky Nelson (1958) (7)
* Ricky Sings Again (1959) (14)
* Songs by Ricky (1959) (22)
* More Songs by Ricky (1960) (18)
* Rick Is 21 (1961) (8)
* Album Seven by Rick (1962) (27)
* Best Sellers By Rick Nelson (1963) (112)
* It's Up to You (1963) (128)
* For Your Sweet Love (1963) (20)
* Rick Nelson Sings "For You" (1964) (14)
* A Long Vacation (1963)
* The Very Thought of You (1964)
* Best Always (1965)
* Spotlight on Rick (1965)
* Bright Lights & Country Music (1966)
* Love and Kisses (1966)
* Country Fever (1967)
* I Need You (1968)
* Perspective (1968)
* Another Side of Rick (1969)
* In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 (1970)
* Rick Nelson in Concert (1970) (54)
* Rick Sings Nelson (1970) (196)
* Rudy the Fifth (1971)
* Garden Party (1972) (32)
* Windfall (1974) (190)
* Intakes (1977)
* Playing to Win (1981) (153)
Singles discography
(Highest chart success on the Billboard charts. When listed twice - 17/2 means that both sides charted individually)
* "I'm Walkin'" / "A Teenager's Romance" (Verve 10047) (17/2)
* "You're My One and Only Love" / "Honey Rock" (Verve 10070) (14)
* "Have I Told You Lately that I Love You" / "Be Bop Baby" (Imperial 5463) (29/3)
* "Stood Up" / "Waitin' in School" (Imperial 5483) (2/18)
* "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" / "Believe What You Say" (Imperial 5503) (18/4)
* "Poor Little Fool" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (Imperial 5528) (7)
* "Lonesome Town" / "I Got a Feeling" (Imperial 5545) (7/10)
* "It's Late" / "Never Be Anyone Else but You" (Imperial 5565) (9/6)
* "Just a Little Too Much" / "Sweeter Than You" (Imperial 5595) (9/9)
* "I Wanna Be Loved" / "Mighty Good" (Imperial 5614) (20/38)
* "Young Emotions" / "Right by My Side" (Imperial 5663) (12/59)
* "I'm Not Afraid" / "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (Imperial 5685) (27/34)
* "You Are the Only One" / "Milk Cow Blues" (Imperial 5707) (25/79)
* "Travelin' Man" / "Hello Mary Lou" (Imperial 5741) (1/9)
* "A Wonder Like You" / "Everlovin'" (Imperial 5770) (11/16)
* "Young World" / "Summertime" (Imperial 5805) (5/89)
* "Teen Age Idol" / "I've Got My Eyes on You (And I Like What I See)" (Imperial 5864) (5/105)
* "It's Up to You" / "I Need You" (Imperial 5901) (6/83)
* "I'm in Love Again" / "That's All" (Imperial 5910) (67/48)
* "You Don't Love Me Anymore (And I Can Tell)" / "I Got a Woman" (Decca 31475) (47/49)
* "If You Can't Rock Me" / "Old Enough to Love" (Imperial 5935) (100/94)
* "A Long Vacation" / "Mad Mad World" (Imperial 5958) (120)
* "Gypsy Woman" / "String Along" (Decca 31495) (62/25)
* "There's Not A Minute" / "Time After Time" (Imperial 5985) (127)
* "Fools Rush In" / "Down Home" (Decca 31533) (12/126)
* "Today's Teardrops" / "Thank You Darlin'" (Imperial 66004) (54)
* "For You" / "That's All She Wrote" (Decca 31574) (9)
* "Congratulations" / "One Minute to One" (Imperial 66017) (63)
* "The Very Thought of You" / "I Wonder (If Your Love Will Belong to Me)" (Decca 31612) (26)
* "Lucky Star" / "Everybody but Me" (Imperial 66039) (127)
* "There's Nothing I Can Say" / "Lonely Corner" (Decca 31656) (47/113)
* "A Happy Guy" / "Don't Breathe a Word" (Decca 31703) (82)
* "Mean Old World" / "When the Chips Are Down" (Decca 31756) (96)
* "Come Out Dancing" / "Yesterday's Love" (Decca 31800) (130)
* "Say You Love Me" / "Love and Kisses" (Decca 31845)
* "Fire Breathin' Dragon" / "Your Kind of Lovin' (Decca 31900)
* "You Just Can't Quit" / "Louisiana Man" (Decca 31956) (108)
* "Things You Gave Me" / "Alone" (Decca 32026)
* "They Don't Give Medals (To Yesterday's Heroes)" / "Take a Broken Heart" (Decca 32055)
* "Take a City Bride" / "I'm Called Lonely" (Decca 32120)
* "Suzanne on a Sunday Morning" / "Moonshine" (Decca 32176)
* "Dream Weaver" / "Baby Close Its Eyes" (Decca 32222)
* "Don't Blame It on Your Wife" / "Promenade in Green" (Decca 32284)
* "Don't Make Promises" / "Barefoot Boy" (Decca 32298)
* "She Belongs to Me" / "Promises" (Decca 32558) (33)
* "Easy to Be Free" / "Come on In" (Decca 32635) (48)
* "I Shall Be Released" / "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" (Decca 32676) (102)
* "Look at Mary" / "We've Got Such a Long Way to Go" (Decca 32711)
* "How Long" / "Down Along the Bayou Country" (Decca 32739)
* "Life" / "California" (Decca 32779) (109)
* "Thank You Lord" / "Sing Me a Song" (Decca 32860)
* "Gypsy Pilot" / "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" (Decca 32906)
* "Garden Party" / "So Long Mama" (Decca 32980) (6)
* "Palace Guard" / "A Flower Opens Gently By" (MCA 40001) (65)
* "Lifestream" / "Evil Woman Child" (MCA 40130)
* "Windfall" / "Legacy" (MCA 40187)
* "One Night Stand" / "Lifestream" (MCA 40214)
* "Try (Try to Fall in Love)" / "Louisiana Belle" (MCA 40392)
* "Rock and Roll Lady" / "Fade Away" (MCA 40458)
* "You Can't Dance" / "It's Another Day" (Epic 50458)
* "Gimme a Little Sign" / "Something You Can't Buy" (Epic 50501)
* "Dream Lover" / "That Ain't the Way Love's Supposed to Be" (Epic 50674)
* "It Hasn't Happened Yet" / "Call It What You Want" (Capitol 4974)
* "Believe What You Say" / "The Loser Babe Is You" (Capitol 4988)
* "Give 'em My Number" / "No Fair Falling in Love" (Capitol 5178)
* "You Know What I Mean" / "Don't Leave Me This Way" (MCA 52781)
* "Dream Lover" / "Rave On" (Epic 06066)
About The Hollies
The Hollies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hollies are an English Beat group formed in the early 1960s. They are commonly associated with Manchester, as several original Hollies came from the city and its outlying communities.
The Manchester quintet, heavily influenced by the Everly Brothers, is known for rich three-part harmonies rivalling those of The Beach Boys, ringing guitars, infectious melodies, jazz oriented backbeats and a squeaky-clean image. They have been called the British Everly Brothers. Nevertheless, The Hollies are one of the most commercially successful pop/rock acts of the British Invasion. While groups like the Beatles would sometimes toy with non-pop experiments, the Hollies kept their material catchy and appealing no matter what style they pursued; however, they tried easing into more sophisticated folk-rock and mildly psychedelic sounds as the decade wore on, especially on their albums. Their mass recognition is generally limited (especially in the United States) to a selection of perhaps a dozen hit songs, from 1964's "Just One Look" to 1974's "The Air That I Breathe". In reality, their recorded history started in 1963 and encompasses more than 350 songs, spread over dozens of albums, EPs and singles, across 33 years (Eder,1996).
Formation
The Hollies' history began by chance with five-year-old Allan Clarke's arrival at the Ordsall Primary School in Salford (Manchester's twin city), England in 1947. He met five-year-old Graham Nash, when Nash was the only student to volunteer to let Clarke sit next to him in class. Soon, they found a common interest in music. They began singing together in choir and as they matured, their voices complemented each other magnificently. The impetus for Clarke and Nash to begin music careers together was the emergence of skiffle music in England (Eder, 2004).
According to Clarke (Eder, 2004),
"We all wanted to be rock 'n' roll stars, and skiffle was one way to start, because it was all based on the easiest chords to play, A, D, G, and C, and we loved the songs. Graham and I played clubs in Manchester, doing an Everly Brothers-type thing. The Everly Brothers were our real inspiration, because of the two-part harmonies."
This laid the foundation for The Hollies. By 1962 Clarke (born Harold Allan Clarke, 5 April 1942, in Salford, Lancashire) and Nash (born Graham William Nash, 2 February 1942, in Blackpool, Lancashire) had already been singing together locally at coffee houses for a number of years as a semi-professional duo under a number of names such as the Guytones, the Two Teens, The Levins and a brother act called Ricky and Dane. As they were playing a show with the Fourtones, they met Eric Haydock (born 3 February 1943, in Stockport, Cheshire) and Don Rathbone (born Donald Rathbone, October 1942, in Wilmslow, Cheshire) and were invited to join the Deltas (Rock, 2000).
The four decided to abandon the Deltas and form a new group in December 1962. According to those close to the band, they chose the name from some Christmas holly decorating Graham Nash's house; not, as long time rumour has it, in homage to Buddy Holly (Rock, 2000). The stories are sufficiently vague that not even the band members remember exactly; however, what they do agree upon is that the name was simply a stop-gap, and it's stuck for 34 years and counting (Eder, 1996). The original lineup consisted of lead singer Allan Clarke, guitarists Graham Nash and Vic Steele, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone. Vic Steele soon left, and was replaced by local guitar hero Tony Hicks (born Anthony Christopher Hicks, 16 December 1943, Nelson, Lancashire). In 1963, before the group started having hits, Rathbone left to become their road manager and was replaced by Bobby Elliott (born Robert Hartley Elliott, 8 December 1941, at 13 Chiltern Avenue, Bolton, Lancashire) from Shane Fenton And The Fentones; however, Elliott and Hicks had played together previously in another Manchester band called Rick Shaw and the Dolphins. In 1966 Bernie Calvert (born Bernard Bamford Calvert, 16 September 1942, in Brierfield, Lancashire) took Haydock’s; and in '68, when Nash left to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, later to become Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, he was replaced by Terry Sylvester (ex-Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans) (Artist, 2004).
The 1960s
The band's first show as The Hollies took place at the Oasis Club in Manchester in December 1962 with great success. Not long after, The Hollies took The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club. The Beatles had graduated from the club and had been signed to EMI's Parlophone label by producer George Martin. The amount of musical activity in Liverpool and Manchester caused record producers who had previously never ventured very far from London to start looking to the north. One of them was Ron Richards, a staff producer at EMI, who went up to the Cavern in January 1963. What he found was a tiny club that lived up to its reputation and that The Hollies could do more than just wail (Eder, 1996).
After Steele's departure and Hicks' arrival, The Hollies incorporated many obscure American R&B classics in their repertoire, as did many beat groups of the early 1960s; however, they were also writing new songs as well as commissioning songs from professional songwriters. The originals wound up as "B" sides, often credited to the pseudonymous "Chester Mann" or “L. Ransford" (Artist, 2004). They scored their first major British hit at the end of 1963 with a cover of Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs' "Stay", which hit #8 in the UK charts. They quickly followed with Doris Troy's "Just One Look". The group's fifth single, "We're Through," was their first original A-side, written by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash under their new collective pseudonym of "L. Ransford". Recorded on 25 August 1964, "We're Through" was released the following month. On 26 September 1964, it entered the British charts at No. 27 and peaked at #7 during a relatively short chart stay - something which, in the wake of "Just One Look"'s much greater success, discouraged the record company from pursuing any more original A-sides from the band at that time. As an original A-side, however, it was a milestone for the band, and hinted at better things to come for them.
During the summer of 1965, the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team, still working as "L. Ransford", achieved what at the time seemed like a major breakthrough. The three were signed to a publishing contract by Dick James Music and given their own publishing imprint, Gralto Music (for Graham, Allan, and Tony). When Graham left, it became Alto Music. By this point the Hollies had established themselves as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands and enjoyed enormous chart success in several countries (Biography, 2002). August 1965 saw them enjoy their first UK#1 with "I'm Alive". However, they experienced their first misfire in January 1966 when their recording of George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone" just scraped the UK Top 20 and brought with it some bad press, with Harrison denouncing the cover version as "soulless". Both the Hollies and John Lennon took swipes at each other, venting frustration at the comparative failure of a Beatles song (Rock, 2000).
Bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Bobby Elliot were considered one of the tightest rhythm sections in British Pop/Rock of the period; however, in 1966, bassist Haydock left to be replaced by Bernie Calvert, whose playing would be given a lesser profile on the band's recordings. The Hollies' long-time producer Ron Richards (sometimes referred to as the "Sixth Hollie") confirms this in his contribution to the notes of Epic Records' 20 Song Anthology (Biography, 2002). According to Richards,
"Calvert was not a good bass player, and [I] deliberately buried his sound in the mix of their songs once he joined the group."
The end of 1965 saw the Hollies crack the US top 40 for the first time with the Graham Gouldman penned "Look Through Any Window" which peaked at #32 in January of 1966. Later in 1966 the Hollies recorded the song that was to become their long-awaited American breakthrough single, "Bus Stop". Written by Graham Gouldman, "Bus Stop" rose to #5 in America and made it to the same spot in Britain.
By this time, the band had blossomed as songwriters and recording artists. The next album, For Certain Because, was their most elaborate yet, its songs - all originals - filled with unusual instrumentation, including marimbas, kettle drums and other exotic sounds. A track from the album, "Pay You Back With Interest", was issued as a single by Imperial in America after the band signed with Epic, while another, "Tell Me To My Face",was a top 40 hit for American singer Keith and was later covered very successfully in the 1970s by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. Other songs, such as "Clown," were more personal compositions by Graham Nash, who was starting to develop a distinctly individual approach to songwriting (Eder,1996).
This was also a golden era for The Hollies as a performing unit. In concert, they worked on the same bill with acts such as the Spencer Davis Group and the Small Faces, and their music onstage had achieved a level of sophistication equivalent to the kind of songwriting they were crafting. The success of "Stop! Stop! Stop!", achieving the #2 spot in England and #7 in America, was all the more remarkable as an original A-side. Their follow-up, "On A Carousel", was written during the group's tour of America, and recorded on 11 January 1967. Released the following month, it reached a by-now routine #4 in England, and #11 in America. "Carrie Anne" had been started by Hicks in 1965, while the band was on tour in Norway, and was inspired by the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man", with Hicks writing to the phrase "Hey Mister Man." Two years later, it was finally completed and recorded on 3 May 1967, in only two takes. Released later the same month, it reached #3 in the United Kingdom and #9 in America (Eder,1996).
1967 saw the band release not one, but two psychedelic-influenced albums, the hard rock-flavoured Evolution and the gentler, more hippy-oriented Butterfly. After The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper in June 1967, The Hollies delved deeper still into the flower power sound with a new song, "King Midas In Reverse", largely composed and arranged by Nash, who yearned to make an impact as a more serious artist. The song had an ambitious string, brass and flute arrangement; however, its relatively modest commercial success did not bode well for his influence over the band's direction, and their next singles were in the more romantic tradition.
By 1968, Nash felt constrained by the band's commercial orientation and left because of creative differences over the plan to record an album of Bob Dylan songs, which he saw as a retrograde step for the band. Nash quickly joined forces with former Buffalo Springfield member Stephen Stills and former Byrds member David Crosby to form one of the first supergroups, Crosby, Stills and Nash. Nash's departure from The Hollies arguably marked the beginning of the group's decline.
Terry Sylvester, formerly of Liverpool bands The Escorts and The Swinging Blue Jeans, was drafted in to replace Nash. This lineup had an immediate hit in 1969 with "Sorry, Suzanne", which reached #3 in the UK. The hit streak continued for a while longer with the epic ballad "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", written by Americans Bob Russell and Bobby Scott and featuring Elton John on piano. "He Ain't Heavy" would become a surprise UK#1 on its re-release in 1988 thanks to its use in a beer commercial (Artist, 2004).
Nevertheless, the Hollies had not moved with the times musically, and from the turn of the decade their popularity was starting to wane; only a handful of hits lay ahead.
1970s
Clarke, devastated by the departure of his friend of more than 20 years, had been locked into the group identity for nearly all of his adult life, and now felt the urge to step out on his own. The group was beginning work on a new album, which Clarke would do with them, after which he would begin work on his own career and his own recordings, independent of the band. Ironically, the new album was to benefit from Clarke's plans for a solo career, but the group's ability to take advantage of its unexpected success was to be sorely tested. While recording the album, titled Distant Light, Clarke turned up with a song that was to be added to the record: a Creedence Clearwater Revival-styled rocker, co-authored by Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, entitled "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" (Eder, 1996[1]). Recorded on a day when producer Ron Richards was absent, the song gave Clarke a rare chance to show off his guitar skills. The problem was that Clarke had not intended it to be released on a Hollies album, but as a record of his own. However, a couple of members of the group did play on it and he was forced to include it on Distant Light. This, in turn, led to an open breach between Clarke and the rest of the group, once they learned that he intended to do a solo recording. Clarke was issued an ultimatum - he could either remain with The Hollies or pursue a solo career, but not both.
In a 1973 interview with Melody Maker, Clarke states (Eder, 1996[2])
They thought that when I became successful, I'd leave them anyway, so they just shortened the agony by forcing me to do one thing or the other. It was silly, really, because I wouldn't have left the group.
"Long Cool Woman" was a minor UK hit but soared to #2 in the US Hot 100 in 1972; suddenly, this became the group's new signature tune, saturating the airwaves in the United States. However, Clarke was already gone - replaced, rather oddly, by Swedish star Mikael Rickfors. The new line-up yielded the minor hits "Magic Woman Touch" and "The Baby"; however, Rickfors could sing in English but not speak it fluently, which created problems that were never fully resolved (Biography, 2002).
To Clarke's chagrin, the Hollies were offered their first major US tour on account of the success of Long Cool Woman, a song which Clarke considered his own. The new Hollies line-up toured the US and for the first time received a major push in that country, appearing on the major music TV shows of the day. The personnel changes meant that the band had to re-invent their style somewhat, switching instruments and lead vocals on various songs. While a very interesting period for the band, the overall cohesive nature of The Hollies sound was somewhat damaged and the tour was not a big success with audiences.
Clarke returned in late 1973 and they returned to the UK Top 30 with another "swamp rocker" written by Clarke, "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee". In 1974 another hit ensued, the worldwide smash "The Air That I Breathe", and returned the group to their orchestral style in grand fashion; however, it was their last major UK hit for over a decade. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, and originally recorded by the group's early idol, Phil Everly. The Everly connection had been cemented some years earlier, when The Hollies backed the American duo on their 1966 Two Yanks in England album. "The Air That I Breathe" was the last Hollies hit to be produced by Ron Richards, as the group took their own reins (Artist, 2004).
Subsequent singles like "Son of a Rotten Gambler", "I'm Down", and "Boulder to Birmingham", failed to chart. Curiously, mostly thanks to Clarke, they did pick up on Bruce Springsteen's work as a songwriter earlier than a lot of other acts, but not even their beautiful rendition of "Sandy" could avert their slide from the public's consciousness. Disco heavily influenced most of their late 70s releases and dance-rock sounds of the era, although they never entirely abandoned their harmony vocal sound. Over the next five years, the Hollies pursued the supper-club and cabaret circuit as their chart appearances began to dwindle. Although their albums were well produced, they were largely unexciting and sold poorly.
Unlike some other British Invasion bands, the Hollies were also accomplished in concert, as indicated by their 1977 Live Hits album recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand the previous year. The album included effective performances of lesser-known songs such as Hicks' working-class portrayal "Too Young to Be Married", which reached #1 in several overseas territories, though never released as such in the UK or US (Biography, 2002). Ironically, their American label, Epic Records ended up passing on the Live Hits that would have reached out to old and new audiences. It received enthusiastic reviews in numerous American magazines and newspapers as a Canadian import. Apparently, Epic made a decision that The Hollies would never sell large numbers of LPs regardless of how big their hits were and subsequently minimized their marketing efforts, essentially running out the clock on their contract ((Unterberger & Eder, 2005[3]).
The '80s and beyond
In 1981 Calvert and Sylvester left and were replaced by Alan Coates and Ray Stiles, respectively. Sensing major problems ahead, EMI suggested they put together a Stars On 45-type segued single. The ensuing "Holliedaze" was a hit and returned them to the UK Top 30 (Rock, 2000). Nash and Haydock briefly rejoined to promote the record on Top of the Pops. The Hollies received a small boost in press interest in America when Graham Nash decided to reunite with the Hollies. They found worldwide success with an update of the Supremes classic "Stop! In The Name Of Love", which reached No. 29 in 1983; subsequently, the group recorded an album, What Goes Around. The next year, a live album featuring the Clarke-Hicks-Elliott-Nash regrouping was released, entitled Reunion. However, this proved a false start, the album received reviews, but they were often negative, and a tour by this line-up had to be hastily re-booked into smaller halls (Unterberger & Eder, 2005). "He Ain't Heavy" was reissued in the UK in 1988 and reached No. 1 after its use in a Miller lite beer commercial, thus establishing a new record for the length of time between chart-topping singles for one artist of 23 years (Biography, 2002).
Although The Hollies continue to tour and record today, with only two original members, Hicks and Elliot, there really is no public demand for new recordings, and by the 1990s they had ceased recording regularly. Ian Parker joined the group on keyboards circa 1990. In 1993, they were given an Ivor Novello award in honor of their contribution to British music. The group was also the subject of a tribute album, Sing Hollies In Reverse, in 1995. It featured alternative-rock figures like the Posies and Material Issue. In the same year they also reunited with Graham Nash to record a new version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" for a Buddy Holly tribute album. The track featured new harmonies and instrumentation over the original Buddy Holly lead vocal. Nash apparently remains on friendly terms with his former bandmates to this day.
In 2000, Clarke decided to retire, leaving Hicks and Elliott as the last two remaining original members of the group, if you don't count Steele and Rathbone, who were pre-hits. A case can be made that no original members now exist.
In 2003, EMI Records recognized the Hollies' musical significance with a six-CD box set, The Long Road Home: 1963-2003, covering every era and major line-up in the group's history (Unterberger & Eder, 2005).
After Clarke's retirement, he was replaced by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of The Move. Wayne only recorded one song with them, "How Do I Survive", before his untimely death from cancer in 2004, and was replaced by Peter Howarth, who had worked for many years with Cliff Richard and had starred in a national tour of The Roy Orbison Story.
The Hollies have recently completed a new studio album, their first since 1983, Staying Power, trailed by the singles "Hope" and "So Damn Beautiful", was released in 2006. (Biography, 2002).
The Hollies 1973 cover of Judee Sill's "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" (ironically, a song that Graham Nash produced) was featured in Cameron Crowe's 2005 movie Elizabethtown.
In 2007, The Hollies were voted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.
Line-up
1962 - 1963
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Vic Steele - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Don Rathbone - drums
1963 - 1966
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1966 - 1968
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1968 - 1971
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1971 - 1973
* Mikael Rickfors - lead vocals, guitar
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1973 - 1976
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1976 - 1981
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Pete Wingfield - keyboards
1981 - 1982
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Brian Chatton - keyboards
1982 - 1983
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Peter Arnesen - keyboards
* Paul Bliss - keyboards
1983 - 1984
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1984 - 1986
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1986 - 1989
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1990
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dave Carey - keyboards
1991 - 2000
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass (replaced by Steve Stroud for 1996 shows)
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2000 - 2004
* Carl Wayne - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2004 - Present
* Peter Howarth - lead vocals
* Steve Lauri - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
Discography
See The Hollies discography
US Success (or lack of it)
Over the years, much has been written about the fact that The Hollies had substantially less chart success in the U.S. than they did in the UK, and most other countries.
Part of the problem lies is that at the start, they were covering songs that had been big hits in the US. Only obscure US songs that were covered by the British groups had much success. Second, Imperial did not push the group at the beginning and great songs like "Here I Go Again", "We're Through", "I'm Alive" and "Yes I Will" were largely ignored. However, starting with "Look Through Any Window" and going straight through "Carrie-Anne", The Hollies became quite a successful group in the US. By that time, they had left Imperial for Epic and although Epic did manage success with the more major singles ("Jennifer Eccles", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "The Air That I Breathe"), Epic simply issued too many singles and didn't promote them very well. They did have the fluke monster hit "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)", but it came at a time when The Hollies temporaily lost Allan Clarke as their lead singer and subsequent singles were not getting airplay.
It might be suggested that The Hollies didn't have the same image that they had elsewhere. (In most other countries, The Hollies were looked upon as one of the major groups in the UK and there lots of excitement for each single. In the US, however, their image was much less and each time, they had to compete for airplay.)
Notes
1. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
2. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
3. ^ Unterberger, R. & Eder, B. (2005). The Hollies Biography. Retrieved August 30, 2006, from All Media Guide Web site: http://www.allmusic.com/
References
* Artist Profile. (2004). The Hollies. Retrieved September 1, 2006, from Rockphiles Web site: www.rockphiles.com
* Rock and Roll Biographies. (2000). The Hollies. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from Classicbands Web site: http://www.classicbands.com/hollies.html
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hollies are an English Beat group formed in the early 1960s. They are commonly associated with Manchester, as several original Hollies came from the city and its outlying communities.
The Manchester quintet, heavily influenced by the Everly Brothers, is known for rich three-part harmonies rivalling those of The Beach Boys, ringing guitars, infectious melodies, jazz oriented backbeats and a squeaky-clean image. They have been called the British Everly Brothers. Nevertheless, The Hollies are one of the most commercially successful pop/rock acts of the British Invasion. While groups like the Beatles would sometimes toy with non-pop experiments, the Hollies kept their material catchy and appealing no matter what style they pursued; however, they tried easing into more sophisticated folk-rock and mildly psychedelic sounds as the decade wore on, especially on their albums. Their mass recognition is generally limited (especially in the United States) to a selection of perhaps a dozen hit songs, from 1964's "Just One Look" to 1974's "The Air That I Breathe". In reality, their recorded history started in 1963 and encompasses more than 350 songs, spread over dozens of albums, EPs and singles, across 33 years (Eder,1996).
Formation
The Hollies' history began by chance with five-year-old Allan Clarke's arrival at the Ordsall Primary School in Salford (Manchester's twin city), England in 1947. He met five-year-old Graham Nash, when Nash was the only student to volunteer to let Clarke sit next to him in class. Soon, they found a common interest in music. They began singing together in choir and as they matured, their voices complemented each other magnificently. The impetus for Clarke and Nash to begin music careers together was the emergence of skiffle music in England (Eder, 2004).
According to Clarke (Eder, 2004),
"We all wanted to be rock 'n' roll stars, and skiffle was one way to start, because it was all based on the easiest chords to play, A, D, G, and C, and we loved the songs. Graham and I played clubs in Manchester, doing an Everly Brothers-type thing. The Everly Brothers were our real inspiration, because of the two-part harmonies."
This laid the foundation for The Hollies. By 1962 Clarke (born Harold Allan Clarke, 5 April 1942, in Salford, Lancashire) and Nash (born Graham William Nash, 2 February 1942, in Blackpool, Lancashire) had already been singing together locally at coffee houses for a number of years as a semi-professional duo under a number of names such as the Guytones, the Two Teens, The Levins and a brother act called Ricky and Dane. As they were playing a show with the Fourtones, they met Eric Haydock (born 3 February 1943, in Stockport, Cheshire) and Don Rathbone (born Donald Rathbone, October 1942, in Wilmslow, Cheshire) and were invited to join the Deltas (Rock, 2000).
The four decided to abandon the Deltas and form a new group in December 1962. According to those close to the band, they chose the name from some Christmas holly decorating Graham Nash's house; not, as long time rumour has it, in homage to Buddy Holly (Rock, 2000). The stories are sufficiently vague that not even the band members remember exactly; however, what they do agree upon is that the name was simply a stop-gap, and it's stuck for 34 years and counting (Eder, 1996). The original lineup consisted of lead singer Allan Clarke, guitarists Graham Nash and Vic Steele, bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Don Rathbone. Vic Steele soon left, and was replaced by local guitar hero Tony Hicks (born Anthony Christopher Hicks, 16 December 1943, Nelson, Lancashire). In 1963, before the group started having hits, Rathbone left to become their road manager and was replaced by Bobby Elliott (born Robert Hartley Elliott, 8 December 1941, at 13 Chiltern Avenue, Bolton, Lancashire) from Shane Fenton And The Fentones; however, Elliott and Hicks had played together previously in another Manchester band called Rick Shaw and the Dolphins. In 1966 Bernie Calvert (born Bernard Bamford Calvert, 16 September 1942, in Brierfield, Lancashire) took Haydock’s; and in '68, when Nash left to form Crosby, Stills & Nash, later to become Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, he was replaced by Terry Sylvester (ex-Escorts and Swinging Blue Jeans) (Artist, 2004).
The 1960s
The band's first show as The Hollies took place at the Oasis Club in Manchester in December 1962 with great success. Not long after, The Hollies took The Beatles' slot at the Cavern Club. The Beatles had graduated from the club and had been signed to EMI's Parlophone label by producer George Martin. The amount of musical activity in Liverpool and Manchester caused record producers who had previously never ventured very far from London to start looking to the north. One of them was Ron Richards, a staff producer at EMI, who went up to the Cavern in January 1963. What he found was a tiny club that lived up to its reputation and that The Hollies could do more than just wail (Eder, 1996).
After Steele's departure and Hicks' arrival, The Hollies incorporated many obscure American R&B classics in their repertoire, as did many beat groups of the early 1960s; however, they were also writing new songs as well as commissioning songs from professional songwriters. The originals wound up as "B" sides, often credited to the pseudonymous "Chester Mann" or “L. Ransford" (Artist, 2004). They scored their first major British hit at the end of 1963 with a cover of Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs' "Stay", which hit #8 in the UK charts. They quickly followed with Doris Troy's "Just One Look". The group's fifth single, "We're Through," was their first original A-side, written by Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash under their new collective pseudonym of "L. Ransford". Recorded on 25 August 1964, "We're Through" was released the following month. On 26 September 1964, it entered the British charts at No. 27 and peaked at #7 during a relatively short chart stay - something which, in the wake of "Just One Look"'s much greater success, discouraged the record company from pursuing any more original A-sides from the band at that time. As an original A-side, however, it was a milestone for the band, and hinted at better things to come for them.
During the summer of 1965, the Clarke-Hicks-Nash songwriting team, still working as "L. Ransford", achieved what at the time seemed like a major breakthrough. The three were signed to a publishing contract by Dick James Music and given their own publishing imprint, Gralto Music (for Graham, Allan, and Tony). When Graham left, it became Alto Music. By this point the Hollies had established themselves as one of Britain's pre-eminent singles bands and enjoyed enormous chart success in several countries (Biography, 2002). August 1965 saw them enjoy their first UK#1 with "I'm Alive". However, they experienced their first misfire in January 1966 when their recording of George Harrison's "If I Needed Someone" just scraped the UK Top 20 and brought with it some bad press, with Harrison denouncing the cover version as "soulless". Both the Hollies and John Lennon took swipes at each other, venting frustration at the comparative failure of a Beatles song (Rock, 2000).
Bassist Eric Haydock and drummer Bobby Elliot were considered one of the tightest rhythm sections in British Pop/Rock of the period; however, in 1966, bassist Haydock left to be replaced by Bernie Calvert, whose playing would be given a lesser profile on the band's recordings. The Hollies' long-time producer Ron Richards (sometimes referred to as the "Sixth Hollie") confirms this in his contribution to the notes of Epic Records' 20 Song Anthology (Biography, 2002). According to Richards,
"Calvert was not a good bass player, and [I] deliberately buried his sound in the mix of their songs once he joined the group."
The end of 1965 saw the Hollies crack the US top 40 for the first time with the Graham Gouldman penned "Look Through Any Window" which peaked at #32 in January of 1966. Later in 1966 the Hollies recorded the song that was to become their long-awaited American breakthrough single, "Bus Stop". Written by Graham Gouldman, "Bus Stop" rose to #5 in America and made it to the same spot in Britain.
By this time, the band had blossomed as songwriters and recording artists. The next album, For Certain Because, was their most elaborate yet, its songs - all originals - filled with unusual instrumentation, including marimbas, kettle drums and other exotic sounds. A track from the album, "Pay You Back With Interest", was issued as a single by Imperial in America after the band signed with Epic, while another, "Tell Me To My Face",was a top 40 hit for American singer Keith and was later covered very successfully in the 1970s by Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg. Other songs, such as "Clown," were more personal compositions by Graham Nash, who was starting to develop a distinctly individual approach to songwriting (Eder,1996).
This was also a golden era for The Hollies as a performing unit. In concert, they worked on the same bill with acts such as the Spencer Davis Group and the Small Faces, and their music onstage had achieved a level of sophistication equivalent to the kind of songwriting they were crafting. The success of "Stop! Stop! Stop!", achieving the #2 spot in England and #7 in America, was all the more remarkable as an original A-side. Their follow-up, "On A Carousel", was written during the group's tour of America, and recorded on 11 January 1967. Released the following month, it reached a by-now routine #4 in England, and #11 in America. "Carrie Anne" had been started by Hicks in 1965, while the band was on tour in Norway, and was inspired by the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man", with Hicks writing to the phrase "Hey Mister Man." Two years later, it was finally completed and recorded on 3 May 1967, in only two takes. Released later the same month, it reached #3 in the United Kingdom and #9 in America (Eder,1996).
1967 saw the band release not one, but two psychedelic-influenced albums, the hard rock-flavoured Evolution and the gentler, more hippy-oriented Butterfly. After The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper in June 1967, The Hollies delved deeper still into the flower power sound with a new song, "King Midas In Reverse", largely composed and arranged by Nash, who yearned to make an impact as a more serious artist. The song had an ambitious string, brass and flute arrangement; however, its relatively modest commercial success did not bode well for his influence over the band's direction, and their next singles were in the more romantic tradition.
By 1968, Nash felt constrained by the band's commercial orientation and left because of creative differences over the plan to record an album of Bob Dylan songs, which he saw as a retrograde step for the band. Nash quickly joined forces with former Buffalo Springfield member Stephen Stills and former Byrds member David Crosby to form one of the first supergroups, Crosby, Stills and Nash. Nash's departure from The Hollies arguably marked the beginning of the group's decline.
Terry Sylvester, formerly of Liverpool bands The Escorts and The Swinging Blue Jeans, was drafted in to replace Nash. This lineup had an immediate hit in 1969 with "Sorry, Suzanne", which reached #3 in the UK. The hit streak continued for a while longer with the epic ballad "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", written by Americans Bob Russell and Bobby Scott and featuring Elton John on piano. "He Ain't Heavy" would become a surprise UK#1 on its re-release in 1988 thanks to its use in a beer commercial (Artist, 2004).
Nevertheless, the Hollies had not moved with the times musically, and from the turn of the decade their popularity was starting to wane; only a handful of hits lay ahead.
1970s
Clarke, devastated by the departure of his friend of more than 20 years, had been locked into the group identity for nearly all of his adult life, and now felt the urge to step out on his own. The group was beginning work on a new album, which Clarke would do with them, after which he would begin work on his own career and his own recordings, independent of the band. Ironically, the new album was to benefit from Clarke's plans for a solo career, but the group's ability to take advantage of its unexpected success was to be sorely tested. While recording the album, titled Distant Light, Clarke turned up with a song that was to be added to the record: a Creedence Clearwater Revival-styled rocker, co-authored by Clarke, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, entitled "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" (Eder, 1996[1]). Recorded on a day when producer Ron Richards was absent, the song gave Clarke a rare chance to show off his guitar skills. The problem was that Clarke had not intended it to be released on a Hollies album, but as a record of his own. However, a couple of members of the group did play on it and he was forced to include it on Distant Light. This, in turn, led to an open breach between Clarke and the rest of the group, once they learned that he intended to do a solo recording. Clarke was issued an ultimatum - he could either remain with The Hollies or pursue a solo career, but not both.
In a 1973 interview with Melody Maker, Clarke states (Eder, 1996[2])
They thought that when I became successful, I'd leave them anyway, so they just shortened the agony by forcing me to do one thing or the other. It was silly, really, because I wouldn't have left the group.
"Long Cool Woman" was a minor UK hit but soared to #2 in the US Hot 100 in 1972; suddenly, this became the group's new signature tune, saturating the airwaves in the United States. However, Clarke was already gone - replaced, rather oddly, by Swedish star Mikael Rickfors. The new line-up yielded the minor hits "Magic Woman Touch" and "The Baby"; however, Rickfors could sing in English but not speak it fluently, which created problems that were never fully resolved (Biography, 2002).
To Clarke's chagrin, the Hollies were offered their first major US tour on account of the success of Long Cool Woman, a song which Clarke considered his own. The new Hollies line-up toured the US and for the first time received a major push in that country, appearing on the major music TV shows of the day. The personnel changes meant that the band had to re-invent their style somewhat, switching instruments and lead vocals on various songs. While a very interesting period for the band, the overall cohesive nature of The Hollies sound was somewhat damaged and the tour was not a big success with audiences.
Clarke returned in late 1973 and they returned to the UK Top 30 with another "swamp rocker" written by Clarke, "The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam McGee". In 1974 another hit ensued, the worldwide smash "The Air That I Breathe", and returned the group to their orchestral style in grand fashion; however, it was their last major UK hit for over a decade. The song was written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, and originally recorded by the group's early idol, Phil Everly. The Everly connection had been cemented some years earlier, when The Hollies backed the American duo on their 1966 Two Yanks in England album. "The Air That I Breathe" was the last Hollies hit to be produced by Ron Richards, as the group took their own reins (Artist, 2004).
Subsequent singles like "Son of a Rotten Gambler", "I'm Down", and "Boulder to Birmingham", failed to chart. Curiously, mostly thanks to Clarke, they did pick up on Bruce Springsteen's work as a songwriter earlier than a lot of other acts, but not even their beautiful rendition of "Sandy" could avert their slide from the public's consciousness. Disco heavily influenced most of their late 70s releases and dance-rock sounds of the era, although they never entirely abandoned their harmony vocal sound. Over the next five years, the Hollies pursued the supper-club and cabaret circuit as their chart appearances began to dwindle. Although their albums were well produced, they were largely unexciting and sold poorly.
Unlike some other British Invasion bands, the Hollies were also accomplished in concert, as indicated by their 1977 Live Hits album recorded in Christchurch, New Zealand the previous year. The album included effective performances of lesser-known songs such as Hicks' working-class portrayal "Too Young to Be Married", which reached #1 in several overseas territories, though never released as such in the UK or US (Biography, 2002). Ironically, their American label, Epic Records ended up passing on the Live Hits that would have reached out to old and new audiences. It received enthusiastic reviews in numerous American magazines and newspapers as a Canadian import. Apparently, Epic made a decision that The Hollies would never sell large numbers of LPs regardless of how big their hits were and subsequently minimized their marketing efforts, essentially running out the clock on their contract ((Unterberger & Eder, 2005[3]).
The '80s and beyond
In 1981 Calvert and Sylvester left and were replaced by Alan Coates and Ray Stiles, respectively. Sensing major problems ahead, EMI suggested they put together a Stars On 45-type segued single. The ensuing "Holliedaze" was a hit and returned them to the UK Top 30 (Rock, 2000). Nash and Haydock briefly rejoined to promote the record on Top of the Pops. The Hollies received a small boost in press interest in America when Graham Nash decided to reunite with the Hollies. They found worldwide success with an update of the Supremes classic "Stop! In The Name Of Love", which reached No. 29 in 1983; subsequently, the group recorded an album, What Goes Around. The next year, a live album featuring the Clarke-Hicks-Elliott-Nash regrouping was released, entitled Reunion. However, this proved a false start, the album received reviews, but they were often negative, and a tour by this line-up had to be hastily re-booked into smaller halls (Unterberger & Eder, 2005). "He Ain't Heavy" was reissued in the UK in 1988 and reached No. 1 after its use in a Miller lite beer commercial, thus establishing a new record for the length of time between chart-topping singles for one artist of 23 years (Biography, 2002).
Although The Hollies continue to tour and record today, with only two original members, Hicks and Elliot, there really is no public demand for new recordings, and by the 1990s they had ceased recording regularly. Ian Parker joined the group on keyboards circa 1990. In 1993, they were given an Ivor Novello award in honor of their contribution to British music. The group was also the subject of a tribute album, Sing Hollies In Reverse, in 1995. It featured alternative-rock figures like the Posies and Material Issue. In the same year they also reunited with Graham Nash to record a new version of "Peggy Sue Got Married" for a Buddy Holly tribute album. The track featured new harmonies and instrumentation over the original Buddy Holly lead vocal. Nash apparently remains on friendly terms with his former bandmates to this day.
In 2000, Clarke decided to retire, leaving Hicks and Elliott as the last two remaining original members of the group, if you don't count Steele and Rathbone, who were pre-hits. A case can be made that no original members now exist.
In 2003, EMI Records recognized the Hollies' musical significance with a six-CD box set, The Long Road Home: 1963-2003, covering every era and major line-up in the group's history (Unterberger & Eder, 2005).
After Clarke's retirement, he was replaced by Carl Wayne, former lead singer of The Move. Wayne only recorded one song with them, "How Do I Survive", before his untimely death from cancer in 2004, and was replaced by Peter Howarth, who had worked for many years with Cliff Richard and had starred in a national tour of The Roy Orbison Story.
The Hollies have recently completed a new studio album, their first since 1983, Staying Power, trailed by the singles "Hope" and "So Damn Beautiful", was released in 2006. (Biography, 2002).
The Hollies 1973 cover of Judee Sill's "Jesus Was A Cross Maker" (ironically, a song that Graham Nash produced) was featured in Cameron Crowe's 2005 movie Elizabethtown.
In 2007, The Hollies were voted into the Vocal Group Hall Of Fame.
Line-up
1962 - 1963
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Vic Steele - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Don Rathbone - drums
1963 - 1966
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1966 - 1968
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1968 - 1971
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1971 - 1973
* Mikael Rickfors - lead vocals, guitar
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1973 - 1976
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
1976 - 1981
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Terry Sylvester - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Bernie Calvert - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Pete Wingfield - keyboards
1981 - 1982
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Eric Haydock - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Brian Chatton - keyboards
1982 - 1983
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Peter Arnesen - keyboards
* Paul Bliss - keyboards
1983 - 1984
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Graham Nash - guitar, vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1984 - 1986
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1986 - 1989
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dennis Haines - keyboards
1990
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Steve Stroud - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Dave Carey - keyboards
1991 - 2000
* Allan Clarke - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass (replaced by Steve Stroud for 1996 shows)
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2000 - 2004
* Carl Wayne - lead vocals
* Alan Coates - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
2004 - Present
* Peter Howarth - lead vocals
* Steve Lauri - guitar, vocals
* Tony Hicks - guitar, vocals
* Ray Stiles - bass
* Bobby Elliott - drums
* Ian Parker - keyboards
Discography
See The Hollies discography
US Success (or lack of it)
Over the years, much has been written about the fact that The Hollies had substantially less chart success in the U.S. than they did in the UK, and most other countries.
Part of the problem lies is that at the start, they were covering songs that had been big hits in the US. Only obscure US songs that were covered by the British groups had much success. Second, Imperial did not push the group at the beginning and great songs like "Here I Go Again", "We're Through", "I'm Alive" and "Yes I Will" were largely ignored. However, starting with "Look Through Any Window" and going straight through "Carrie-Anne", The Hollies became quite a successful group in the US. By that time, they had left Imperial for Epic and although Epic did manage success with the more major singles ("Jennifer Eccles", "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "The Air That I Breathe"), Epic simply issued too many singles and didn't promote them very well. They did have the fluke monster hit "Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)", but it came at a time when The Hollies temporaily lost Allan Clarke as their lead singer and subsequent singles were not getting airplay.
It might be suggested that The Hollies didn't have the same image that they had elsewhere. (In most other countries, The Hollies were looked upon as one of the major groups in the UK and there lots of excitement for each single. In the US, however, their image was much less and each time, they had to compete for airplay.)
Notes
1. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
2. ^ Eder, B.(1996). Just One More Look at The Hollies. [electronic version] Goldmine, 22 (415)
3. ^ Unterberger, R. & Eder, B. (2005). The Hollies Biography. Retrieved August 30, 2006, from All Media Guide Web site: http://www.allmusic.com/
References
* Artist Profile. (2004). The Hollies. Retrieved September 1, 2006, from Rockphiles Web site: www.rockphiles.com
* Rock and Roll Biographies. (2000). The Hollies. Retrieved August 31, 2006, from Classicbands Web site: http://www.classicbands.com/hollies.html
About The Platters
The Platters
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre. The act went through many personnel changes, with the most successful incarnation comprising lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.
Contents
1 Band formation and early years
2 Charting hits
3 Changing lineup
4 Recent history and consolidation
5 Hit singles
6 References
7 External links
Band formation and early years
The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. The group had a contract with Federal Records but had found little success before meeting music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram. Ram made some changes to the lineup, most notably the addition of lead vocalist Tony Williams and female vocalist Zola Taylor. Under Ram's guidance, the Platters recorded seven singles for Federal in the R&B/gospel style, scoring a few minor regional hits on the West Coast. One song recorded during their Federal tenure, Only You (And You Alone), originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots was deemed unreleasable by the label.[1]
Despite their lack of chart success, the Platters were a profitable touring group--successful enough that The Penguins, coming off their #2 Earth Angel single, asked Ram to manage them as well. With the Penguins in hand, Ram was able to parlay Mercury Records' interest into a 2-for-1 deal. To sign the Penguins, Ram insisted, Mercury also had to take the Platters. Ironically, the Penguins would never have a hit for the label.[citation needed]
What set The Platters apart from other groups of the era as that Ram had the group incorporate. Each member received equal shares of stock, full royalties and their social security was paid thus insuring their future financial security.
Charting hits
Convinced by his business partner Jean Bennett and singer Tony Williams that "Only You" had potential, Ram had the Platters re-record the song during their first session for Mercury. Released in the summer of 1955, it became the group's first Top Ten hit on the pop charts, and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The follow-up, The Great Pretender, with lyrics written in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, exceeded the success of their debut. It became the Platters' first national #1 hit. The Great Pretender was also the act's biggest R&B hit, with an 11-week run atop that chart. In 1956, The Platters appeared in the first major motion picture based around rock and roll, Rock Around the Clock, and performed both "Only You" and "The Great Pretender".[citation needed]
The Platters' unique vocal style had touched a nerve in the music-buying public, and a string of hit singles followed, including three further Hot 100 number one hits. The Platters soon hit upon the successful formula of updating older standards, such as My Prayer, Twilight Time, Harbor Lights, To Each His Own, If I Didn't Care and Jerome Kern's Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock and roll" record. It topped both the American and British charts in a tasteful Platters-style arrangement. The Platters were also the first rock and roll group to have a Top Ten album in America.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. The Platters were the only act to have three songs included on the "American Graffiti" soundtrack: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".
Changing lineup
The group's lineup has changed many times. The original lineup in 1953 included lead vocalist Cornell Gunter, Herb Reed, Alex Hodge, Joe Jefferson, and David Lynch. This lineup changed when the group signed with Ram, who built the group around Tony Williams' distinctive and versatile voice and his ability to bring life to Ram's songs. Within a year, Hodge, Jefferson, and Gunter were out, and Paul Robi, Zola Taylor, and new lead Tony Williams were in. This lineup - the one remembered for the group's biggest and most successful hits - lasted until 1960. At that time Williams left for a solo career, and was replaced by Sonny Turner. Mercury refused to issue further Platters releases without Williams on lead vocals, provoking a lawsuit between the label and manager Ram. The label spent two years releasing old Williams-era material until the group's contract elapsed.
As the group's lineup splintered further, endless wrangling over the lucrative "Platters" name began, with injunctions, non-compete clauses and multiple versions of the act touring at the same time. Williams would lead his own Platters group, as would Zola Taylor (who left in 1964) and Paul Robi (who departed in 1965). The Buck Ram Platters had the strongest contractual claim to the name, despite having only one original member (Herb Reed). Despite the confusion, "The Platters" lineup with lead vocalist Sonny Turner, Nate Nelson, David Lynch, Herb Reed and Sandra Dawn signed to Musicor Records and enjoyed a short chart renaissance in 1966-67, with the comeback singles I Love You 1000 Times ,With This Ring, and the Motown-influenced "Washed Ashore".
Herb Reed, the final member of the original Platters, left in 1969. He would eventually lead an "official" Platters group under license from The Five Platters, Inc. Nelson filled Robi's vacancy in 1967 and stayed until suffering a fatal heart attack in 1984. Sonny Turner left in 1970 and was replaced by Monroe Powell. (Turner led his own Platters group starting in [[1970].) Powell remained a constant member from 1970 to 1995. That year, a dispute between Powell and owner/manager Jean Bennett (who had purchased Personality Productions, the booking/management arm of The Platters business, from Ram in 1966) led to the two parting ways. At the time, the group's lineup was in limbo, leaving one person, Kenn Johnson, as the only other group member. Powell and Johnson continued touring as The Platters, with Bennett hiring five new singers to be the "Buck Ram Platters," with lead Tyrone Sweet.
A number of legal challenges have developed among the many groups of Platters. Monroe Powell was sued by Jean Bennett, and his group must now include his name in billing (e.g. The Platters feat. Monroe Powell). Those looking to hear the classic lineup of songs had their pick of approved, disputed, and ersatz Platters, such as Sonny Turner's, Zola Taylor's, Ritchie Jones' (member 1984-85), Milton Bullock's (member 1967-70), the late Paul Robi's (managed by his wife), Jean Bennett's "Buck Ram" Platters, Monroe Powell's , Herb Reed's, and several groups with no current ties to the original group (many had once contained former members, who were retired or deceased).
Recent history and consolidation
Shortly before Paul Robi succumbed to pancreatic cancer on February 1, 1989, he won a long court battle against Ram's estate and was awarded compensation and exclusive rights to the "Platters" name. In turn, those rights were later stripped from Robi's widow in 1997, and the exclusive right to tour as "The Platters" was awarded to Herb Reed. In 2002, Herb Reed's exclusive trademark rights were legally rescinded. A member of the 1954-69 lineup, his group still tours as Herb Reed's Platters. In 2007, he discussed the abundance of touring Platters groups: "I have to laugh because when you ask me how I feel about it, I'm irate, I'm infuriated... I've lost 25 weeks of work a year."
In January 2006, Jean Bennett, owner of Five Platters Inc., and Personality Productions since 1966, entered into an agreement to sell all of her Platters-related assets and intellectual property rights to the Las Vegas-based company G.E.M. Group, Inc. There was immediate disagreement between G.E.M. and Bennett, and a lawsuit was filed. In June 2006, G.E.M. Group entered into an agreement with Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters, to be licensed as another of the "official" Platters groups. Turner, who had not been able to bill himself as Sonny Turner of The Platters since 1972 due to a legal injunction, became the leader of "The Platters starring the legendary Sonny Turner". He performs internationally under the management wing of G.E.M.
Herb Reed is the sole surviving singing member of the original group. Jean Bennett is the sole surviving member of the business team that made the group stars.
Hit singles
Release date Title Chart Positions
US Charts US R&B chart UK Charts Australia
7/55 "Only You" #5 #1 #5
11/55 "The Great Pretender" #1 #1 #5
2/56 "The Magic Touch" #4 #4
6/56 "My Prayer" #1 #1 #4
6/56 "Heaven on Earth" #39 #13
8/56 "You'll Never Never Know" #11 #9 #23
8/56 "It Isn't Right" #13 #10 #23
11/56 "On My Word of Honor" #20 #7
11/56 "One in a Million" #31 #11
2/57 "I'm Sorry" #11 #15 #18
2/57 "He's Mine" #23 #5
4/57 "My Dream" #24 #7
4/57 "I Wanna" #24
8/57 "Only Because" #65
12/57 "Helpless" #56
4/58 "Twilight Time" #1 #1 #3 #1
6/58 "You're Making a Mistake" #51
9/58 "I Wish" #42
9/58 "It's Raining Outside" #93
10/58 "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" #1 #3 #1 #1
2/59 "Enchanted" #12 #9
5/59 "Remember When" #41 #25
9/59 "Where" #44
9/59 "Wish It Were Me" #61
1/60 "Harbor Lights" #8 #15 #11
1/60 "Sleepy Lagoon" #65
5/60 "Ebb Tide" #56
8/60 "Red Sails in the Sunset" #36
10/60 "To Each His Own" #21
1/61 "If I Didn't Care" #30
1961 "Trees" #62
7/61 "I'll Never Smile Again" #25 #17
1/62 "It's Magic" #91
4/66 "I Love You 1000 Times" #31 #6
11/66 "I'll Be Home" #97
2/67 "With This Ring" #14 #12
6/67 "Washed Ashore" #56 #29
10/67 "Sweet, Sweet Lovin'" #70 #32
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre. The act went through many personnel changes, with the most successful incarnation comprising lead tenor Tony Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Herb Reed, and Zola Taylor.
Contents
1 Band formation and early years
2 Charting hits
3 Changing lineup
4 Recent history and consolidation
5 Hit singles
6 References
7 External links
Band formation and early years
The Platters formed in Los Angeles in 1953 and were initially managed by Ralph Bass. The group had a contract with Federal Records but had found little success before meeting music entrepreneur and songwriter Buck Ram. Ram made some changes to the lineup, most notably the addition of lead vocalist Tony Williams and female vocalist Zola Taylor. Under Ram's guidance, the Platters recorded seven singles for Federal in the R&B/gospel style, scoring a few minor regional hits on the West Coast. One song recorded during their Federal tenure, Only You (And You Alone), originally written by Ram for the Ink Spots was deemed unreleasable by the label.[1]
Despite their lack of chart success, the Platters were a profitable touring group--successful enough that The Penguins, coming off their #2 Earth Angel single, asked Ram to manage them as well. With the Penguins in hand, Ram was able to parlay Mercury Records' interest into a 2-for-1 deal. To sign the Penguins, Ram insisted, Mercury also had to take the Platters. Ironically, the Penguins would never have a hit for the label.[citation needed]
What set The Platters apart from other groups of the era as that Ram had the group incorporate. Each member received equal shares of stock, full royalties and their social security was paid thus insuring their future financial security.
Charting hits
Convinced by his business partner Jean Bennett and singer Tony Williams that "Only You" had potential, Ram had the Platters re-record the song during their first session for Mercury. Released in the summer of 1955, it became the group's first Top Ten hit on the pop charts, and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The follow-up, The Great Pretender, with lyrics written in the washroom of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, exceeded the success of their debut. It became the Platters' first national #1 hit. The Great Pretender was also the act's biggest R&B hit, with an 11-week run atop that chart. In 1956, The Platters appeared in the first major motion picture based around rock and roll, Rock Around the Clock, and performed both "Only You" and "The Great Pretender".[citation needed]
The Platters' unique vocal style had touched a nerve in the music-buying public, and a string of hit singles followed, including three further Hot 100 number one hits. The Platters soon hit upon the successful formula of updating older standards, such as My Prayer, Twilight Time, Harbor Lights, To Each His Own, If I Didn't Care and Jerome Kern's Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. This latter release caused a small controversy after Kern's widow expressed concern that her late husband's composition would be turned into a "rock and roll" record. It topped both the American and British charts in a tasteful Platters-style arrangement. The Platters were also the first rock and roll group to have a Top Ten album in America.
The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1998. The Platters were the only act to have three songs included on the "American Graffiti" soundtrack: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "The Great Pretender" and "Only You (and You Alone)".
Changing lineup
The group's lineup has changed many times. The original lineup in 1953 included lead vocalist Cornell Gunter, Herb Reed, Alex Hodge, Joe Jefferson, and David Lynch. This lineup changed when the group signed with Ram, who built the group around Tony Williams' distinctive and versatile voice and his ability to bring life to Ram's songs. Within a year, Hodge, Jefferson, and Gunter were out, and Paul Robi, Zola Taylor, and new lead Tony Williams were in. This lineup - the one remembered for the group's biggest and most successful hits - lasted until 1960. At that time Williams left for a solo career, and was replaced by Sonny Turner. Mercury refused to issue further Platters releases without Williams on lead vocals, provoking a lawsuit between the label and manager Ram. The label spent two years releasing old Williams-era material until the group's contract elapsed.
As the group's lineup splintered further, endless wrangling over the lucrative "Platters" name began, with injunctions, non-compete clauses and multiple versions of the act touring at the same time. Williams would lead his own Platters group, as would Zola Taylor (who left in 1964) and Paul Robi (who departed in 1965). The Buck Ram Platters had the strongest contractual claim to the name, despite having only one original member (Herb Reed). Despite the confusion, "The Platters" lineup with lead vocalist Sonny Turner, Nate Nelson, David Lynch, Herb Reed and Sandra Dawn signed to Musicor Records and enjoyed a short chart renaissance in 1966-67, with the comeback singles I Love You 1000 Times ,With This Ring, and the Motown-influenced "Washed Ashore".
Herb Reed, the final member of the original Platters, left in 1969. He would eventually lead an "official" Platters group under license from The Five Platters, Inc. Nelson filled Robi's vacancy in 1967 and stayed until suffering a fatal heart attack in 1984. Sonny Turner left in 1970 and was replaced by Monroe Powell. (Turner led his own Platters group starting in [[1970].) Powell remained a constant member from 1970 to 1995. That year, a dispute between Powell and owner/manager Jean Bennett (who had purchased Personality Productions, the booking/management arm of The Platters business, from Ram in 1966) led to the two parting ways. At the time, the group's lineup was in limbo, leaving one person, Kenn Johnson, as the only other group member. Powell and Johnson continued touring as The Platters, with Bennett hiring five new singers to be the "Buck Ram Platters," with lead Tyrone Sweet.
A number of legal challenges have developed among the many groups of Platters. Monroe Powell was sued by Jean Bennett, and his group must now include his name in billing (e.g. The Platters feat. Monroe Powell). Those looking to hear the classic lineup of songs had their pick of approved, disputed, and ersatz Platters, such as Sonny Turner's, Zola Taylor's, Ritchie Jones' (member 1984-85), Milton Bullock's (member 1967-70), the late Paul Robi's (managed by his wife), Jean Bennett's "Buck Ram" Platters, Monroe Powell's , Herb Reed's, and several groups with no current ties to the original group (many had once contained former members, who were retired or deceased).
Recent history and consolidation
Shortly before Paul Robi succumbed to pancreatic cancer on February 1, 1989, he won a long court battle against Ram's estate and was awarded compensation and exclusive rights to the "Platters" name. In turn, those rights were later stripped from Robi's widow in 1997, and the exclusive right to tour as "The Platters" was awarded to Herb Reed. In 2002, Herb Reed's exclusive trademark rights were legally rescinded. A member of the 1954-69 lineup, his group still tours as Herb Reed's Platters. In 2007, he discussed the abundance of touring Platters groups: "I have to laugh because when you ask me how I feel about it, I'm irate, I'm infuriated... I've lost 25 weeks of work a year."
In January 2006, Jean Bennett, owner of Five Platters Inc., and Personality Productions since 1966, entered into an agreement to sell all of her Platters-related assets and intellectual property rights to the Las Vegas-based company G.E.M. Group, Inc. There was immediate disagreement between G.E.M. and Bennett, and a lawsuit was filed. In June 2006, G.E.M. Group entered into an agreement with Sonny Turner, former lead singer of The Platters, to be licensed as another of the "official" Platters groups. Turner, who had not been able to bill himself as Sonny Turner of The Platters since 1972 due to a legal injunction, became the leader of "The Platters starring the legendary Sonny Turner". He performs internationally under the management wing of G.E.M.
Herb Reed is the sole surviving singing member of the original group. Jean Bennett is the sole surviving member of the business team that made the group stars.
Hit singles
Release date Title Chart Positions
US Charts US R&B chart UK Charts Australia
7/55 "Only You" #5 #1 #5
11/55 "The Great Pretender" #1 #1 #5
2/56 "The Magic Touch" #4 #4
6/56 "My Prayer" #1 #1 #4
6/56 "Heaven on Earth" #39 #13
8/56 "You'll Never Never Know" #11 #9 #23
8/56 "It Isn't Right" #13 #10 #23
11/56 "On My Word of Honor" #20 #7
11/56 "One in a Million" #31 #11
2/57 "I'm Sorry" #11 #15 #18
2/57 "He's Mine" #23 #5
4/57 "My Dream" #24 #7
4/57 "I Wanna" #24
8/57 "Only Because" #65
12/57 "Helpless" #56
4/58 "Twilight Time" #1 #1 #3 #1
6/58 "You're Making a Mistake" #51
9/58 "I Wish" #42
9/58 "It's Raining Outside" #93
10/58 "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" #1 #3 #1 #1
2/59 "Enchanted" #12 #9
5/59 "Remember When" #41 #25
9/59 "Where" #44
9/59 "Wish It Were Me" #61
1/60 "Harbor Lights" #8 #15 #11
1/60 "Sleepy Lagoon" #65
5/60 "Ebb Tide" #56
8/60 "Red Sails in the Sunset" #36
10/60 "To Each His Own" #21
1/61 "If I Didn't Care" #30
1961 "Trees" #62
7/61 "I'll Never Smile Again" #25 #17
1/62 "It's Magic" #91
4/66 "I Love You 1000 Times" #31 #6
11/66 "I'll Be Home" #97
2/67 "With This Ring" #14 #12
6/67 "Washed Ashore" #56 #29
10/67 "Sweet, Sweet Lovin'" #70 #32
About Pat Boone
Biography and Career
Early Life/Career
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Pat Boone has said that he is a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone.[1] He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Columbia University magna cum laude in 1958[2] after a period at David Lipscomb College and North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas).
Boone began recording in 1954 for Republic Records. His 1955 version of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market.
Six of Boone's hit singles were R&B covers. These were "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino and "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, and "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" by the El Dorados. The other two R&B covers were blues ballads, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter and "Chains of Love", a hit for Big Joe Turner and later B.B. King that had been written by Ahmet Ertegün. By 1957, Boone was concentrating on middle-of-the-road music. Although he would continue to record R&B songs (such as "Two Little Kisses," a non-alcoholic version of "One Mint Julep"), and his version of The Capris' song, "There's a Moon Out Tonight" as cover versions.
The handprints of Pat Boone in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.Boone sported a clean-cut image that appealed to white Americans. His singing style followed in the tradition of his idol, Bing Crosby. Preferring to carry on in the Crosby tradition, he soon began turning more and more to ballads. Some of his biggest hits included "Love Letters in the Sand" (with the instrumental break featuring Boone's whistling), "April Love", "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)", and "Don't Forbid Me".
His recording of the theme song from the 1957 film April Love topped the charts for six weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. Pat also wrote the lyrics for the instrumental theme song for the movie Exodus (Ernest Gold wrote the music.)[3]
A devout born-again Christian, he was raised in the conservative Church of Christ, but has been a member of a Pentecostal church since the late 1960s. Boone has refused both songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role opposite the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. In his first film, April Love, he refused to give co-star/film love interest Shirley Jones an onscreen kiss, because the actress was married in real life.
Among his other achievements, he hosted a TV series in the late 1950s and began writing in the early 1960s, a series of self-help books for adolescents, including Twixt Twelve and Twenty.
The British Invasion ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country, and he continued performing in other media as well. He is currently working as the disc jockey of a popular oldies radio show and runs his own record company which provides an outlet for new recordings by 1950s greats who can no longer find a place with the major labels.
Boone married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin, in 1953 and they had four daughters: Cherry, Lindy, Debby, and Laury. In the 1960s and 1970s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.
In the early 1970s, Pat founded the record label Lion & Lamb Records. It featured artists such as Pat, The Pat Boone Family, Debby Boone, Dan Peek, DeGarmo & Key and Dogwood.[4]
In 1978, Boone was the first target in the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on false claim product endorsements by celebrities. He had appeared with daughter Debbie on TV to claim that all four of his daughters had found a preparation named Acne-Statin a "real help" in keeping their skins clear. The FTC filed a complaint against the manufacturer, contending that the product did not really keep skin free of blemishes. Boone eventually signed a consent order in which he promised not only to stop appearing in the ads but to pay about 2.5% of any money that the FTC or the courts might eventually order the manufacturer to refund to consumers. Boone said through a lawyer that his daughters actually did use Acne-Statin, and that he was "dismayed to learn that the product's efficacy had not been scientifically established as he believed."[5]
Religion
Pat Boone was raised in the Church of Christ movement. Eventually, he became a part of the Charismatic movement. It is said that Pat Boone witnessed a prophecy given to then governor Ronald Reagan that he would be president of the United States. Pat Boone attends The Church on the Way in Van Nuys California and has served as a host on Christian television programs on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Recent Career
In 1997, Boone released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians.
He was then fired from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. About a year later, the controversy died down and many fans, including Jack Hayford, accepted his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself". He was re-hired by Trinity Broadcasting and Gospel America was brought back.
In 2003, the Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In September 2006, Boone released Pat Boone R&B Classics - We Are Family, featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Soul Man," "Get Down Tonight," "A Woman Needs Love," and six other classics.
In 2007 Pat Boone was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Boone and his wife live in Los Angeles, California. They are members of The Church on the Way in the San Fernando Valley. His one-time neighbor was Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Boone's cover of Osbourne's song "Crazy Train" became the theme song for The Osbournes. (It appears on The Osbournes Soundtrack.) Sharon Osbourne once said that Boone "never complained once" about living next door to their less-than-traditional family.
In 2006, Boone penned an article for WorldNetDaily in which he argued that Democrats and others who are against the Iraq War cannot, under any circumstances, be considered patriotic.[6] He was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders".[7] However, another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an anti-Semitic rant.[8]
In early 2007, Boone wrote two articles claiming that the theory of evolution is an "absurd," "nonsensical" "bankrupt false religion." [9][10] He later wrote an editorial in the form of a fairy tale where a young Prince Charming was seduced by a dwarf, got AIDS, and then overdosed.[11]
In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Pat Boone campaigned for incumbent Republican Ernie Fletcher with a prerecorded automated telephone message stating that the Democratic Party candidate Steve Beshear would support "every homosexual cause." "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?" Boone asked.[12]
As Chevrolet spokesman
Pat Boone's well-groomed, clean-cut, boyish image won him a long-term product endorsement contract from General Motors during the late 1950s, lasting through the 60s.
Boone succeeded Dinah Shore singing the praises of the GM product: "See the USA in your Chevrolet...drive your Chevrolet through the USA, America's the greatest land of all!" In the 1989 documentary Roger and Me, Boone stated that he first was given a Corvette from the Chevrolet product line, but after he and wife started having children, at one child a year, GM supplied him with a station wagon as well.
Boone, who has endorsed an indeterminate number of products and services over the course of his career, said that more people identified him with Chevrolet than any other product.
Basketball interests
Boone was a basketball fan and had ownership interests in two teams. He owned a team in the Hollywood Studio League called the "Cooga Moogas." The Cooga Moogas included Bill Cosby, Rafer Johnson, Gardner McKay, Don Murray, and Denny "Tarzan" Miller.[13]
With the founding of the American Basketball Association Boone on February 2, 1967 became the majority owner of the league's team in Oakland, California.[13] The team was first named the Oakland Americans but was later renamed as the Oakland Oaks, the name under which it played from 1967 to 1969.[13] The Oaks won the 1969 ABA championship.[14]
Despite the Oaks' success on the court, the team had severe financial problems. One reason was that the Oaks were the only team in the ABA playing in a market with direct local competition from an NBA team, the Golden State Warriors. By August 1969 the Bank of America was threatening to foreclose on a $1.2 million loan to the Oaks,[15] and the team was sold to a group of businessmen in Washington, DC and became the Washington Caps.[16]
Discography
This section (citations needed for all charting numbers below) does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
1955: "Two Hearts, Two Kisses" (#16); "Ain't That a Shame" (#1); "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" (#7); "No Arms Can Ever Hold You" (#26)
1956: "Gee Whittakers!" (#19); "I'll Be Home" (#4); "Tutti Frutti" (#12); "Just As Long As I'm With You" (#76); "Long Tall Sally" (#8); "I Almost Lost My Mind" (#1); "Friendly Persuasion" (#5); "Chains of Love" (#20); "Howdy!"(#14)
1957: "Don't Forbid Me" (#1); "Anastasia" (#37); "Why Baby Why" (#5); "I'm Waiting Just For You" (#27); "Love Letters In The Sand" (#1); "Bernadine" (#14); "A Closer Walk With Thee" (#13); "Remember You're Mine" (#6); "There's A Gold Mine In The Sky" (#20); "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano" (#90); "April Love" (#1); Albums: Pat (#19); Four By Pat (#5); Pat Boone (#20); Pat's Great Hits (#3); Hymns We Love(#21); April Love (soundtrack) (#12)
1958: "A Wonderful Time Up There" (#4); "It's Too Soon To Know" (#11); "Cherie, I Love You" (#63); "Sugar Moon" (#5); "If Dreams Came True" (#7); "That's How Much I Love You" (#39); "Stardust" (#2); "For My Good Fortune" (#21); "Gee But It's Lonely" (#31); "Yes Indeed!" (#13); "I'll Remember Tonight" (#34)
1959: "With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair" (#21); "Good Rockin' Tonight" (#49); "For A Penny" (#23); "The Wang Dang Taffy-Apple Tango" (#62); "Twixt Twelve And Twenty" (#17); "Fools Hall Of Fame" (#29); "Beyond The Sunset" (#71); Album: Tenderly (#17)
1960: "(Welcome) New Lovers" (#18); "Words" (#94); "Walking The Floor Over You" (#44); "Spring Rain" (#50); "Moonglow" (#26); "Candy Sweet" (#72); "Delia Gone" (#66); "Dear John" (#44); "Alabam" (#47)
1961: "The Exodus Song (This Land Is Mine)" (#64); "Moody River" (#1); "Big Cold Wind" (#19); Albums: Moody River (#29); White Christmas (#39)
1962: "Johnny Will" (#35); "Pictures In The Fire" (#77); "I'll See You In My Dreams" (#32); "Quando Quando Quando" (#95); "Speedy Gonzales" (#6); "Ten Lonely Guys" (#45); "White Christmas" (#116); Albums: Pat Boone's Golden Hits (#66); State Fair (soundtrack) (#12);
1963: Albums: Pat Boone Sings Guess Who; The Touch of Your Lips; Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
1972: Albums: Come Together: A Musical Experience in Love
1973: Albums: Songs for the Jesus Folks
1976: Albums: Texas Woman
1981: Albums: Songmaker
1997: Albums: In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy
2002: Albums: American Glory
2006: Albums: Pat Boone R&B Classics - We Are Family
Filmography
Bernadine (1957)
April Love (1957)
Mardi Gras (1958)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
All Hands on Deck (1961)
State Fair (1962) featuring Boone's first on-screen kiss
The Main Attraction (1962)
The Horror of it All (1963)
Goodbye, Charlie (1964)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
The Perils of Pauline (1967)
The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) starring Boone as David Wilkerson
The Magic of Lassie (1978) featuring Boone in the soundtrack singing "A Rose Is Not A Rose"
Roger & Me (1989)
Music Machine (1990) (Voice of Mr. Conductor)
Music Machine: Benny's Biggest Battle (1991) (Voice of Mr. Conductor)
References
^ Woodland, Shannon and Ross, Scott. BETWEEN THE LINER NOTES: Pat Boone and the New American Revolution. Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved on 2007-05-07.
^ Gerstenzang, Peter. "Pat 'n Leather." Columbia, Winter 2007-2008.
^ Soundtracks for Exodus (1960). imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ http://www.mymusicway.com/labels/lamblion.html
^ Let the Stellar Seller Beware. Time (1978-05-22). Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Boone, Pat (2006-03-25). As a matter of fact, sir, I do question your patriotism!. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Pat Boone rips Dixie Chicks for Bush bash. WorldNetDaily.com (2006-05-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2006-08-05). Lay off Mel Gibson, for Christ's sake!. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2007-02-03). Poor Darwin's false religion. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2007-01-27). Charles Darwin's unfunny joke. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2007-09-22). A modern American fairy tale. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Kleefeld, Eric (2007-11-04). Kentucky GOP Pushing Anti-Gay Message In Final Days Of Gov Race. TPM Election Central. TPM Media LLC.. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
^ a b c Oakland Oaks. Remember the ABA. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ 1968-69 ABA Regular Season Standings. Remember the ABA. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps/Virginia Squires Year-to-Year Franchise Notes. Remember the ABA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps/Virginia Squires Year-to-Year Rosters. Remember the ABA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
Early Life/Career
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Pat Boone has said that he is a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone.[1] He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee and graduated from Columbia University magna cum laude in 1958[2] after a period at David Lipscomb College and North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas).
Boone began recording in 1954 for Republic Records. His 1955 version of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market.
Six of Boone's hit singles were R&B covers. These were "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino and "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, and "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" by the El Dorados. The other two R&B covers were blues ballads, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter and "Chains of Love", a hit for Big Joe Turner and later B.B. King that had been written by Ahmet Ertegün. By 1957, Boone was concentrating on middle-of-the-road music. Although he would continue to record R&B songs (such as "Two Little Kisses," a non-alcoholic version of "One Mint Julep"), and his version of The Capris' song, "There's a Moon Out Tonight" as cover versions.
The handprints of Pat Boone in front of The Great Movie Ride at Walt Disney World's Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.Boone sported a clean-cut image that appealed to white Americans. His singing style followed in the tradition of his idol, Bing Crosby. Preferring to carry on in the Crosby tradition, he soon began turning more and more to ballads. Some of his biggest hits included "Love Letters in the Sand" (with the instrumental break featuring Boone's whistling), "April Love", "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)", and "Don't Forbid Me".
His recording of the theme song from the 1957 film April Love topped the charts for six weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. Pat also wrote the lyrics for the instrumental theme song for the movie Exodus (Ernest Gold wrote the music.)[3]
A devout born-again Christian, he was raised in the conservative Church of Christ, but has been a member of a Pentecostal church since the late 1960s. Boone has refused both songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role opposite the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. In his first film, April Love, he refused to give co-star/film love interest Shirley Jones an onscreen kiss, because the actress was married in real life.
Among his other achievements, he hosted a TV series in the late 1950s and began writing in the early 1960s, a series of self-help books for adolescents, including Twixt Twelve and Twenty.
The British Invasion ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country, and he continued performing in other media as well. He is currently working as the disc jockey of a popular oldies radio show and runs his own record company which provides an outlet for new recordings by 1950s greats who can no longer find a place with the major labels.
Boone married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin, in 1953 and they had four daughters: Cherry, Lindy, Debby, and Laury. In the 1960s and 1970s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.
In the early 1970s, Pat founded the record label Lion & Lamb Records. It featured artists such as Pat, The Pat Boone Family, Debby Boone, Dan Peek, DeGarmo & Key and Dogwood.[4]
In 1978, Boone was the first target in the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown on false claim product endorsements by celebrities. He had appeared with daughter Debbie on TV to claim that all four of his daughters had found a preparation named Acne-Statin a "real help" in keeping their skins clear. The FTC filed a complaint against the manufacturer, contending that the product did not really keep skin free of blemishes. Boone eventually signed a consent order in which he promised not only to stop appearing in the ads but to pay about 2.5% of any money that the FTC or the courts might eventually order the manufacturer to refund to consumers. Boone said through a lawyer that his daughters actually did use Acne-Statin, and that he was "dismayed to learn that the product's efficacy had not been scientifically established as he believed."[5]
Religion
Pat Boone was raised in the Church of Christ movement. Eventually, he became a part of the Charismatic movement. It is said that Pat Boone witnessed a prophecy given to then governor Ronald Reagan that he would be president of the United States. Pat Boone attends The Church on the Way in Van Nuys California and has served as a host on Christian television programs on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
Recent Career
In 1997, Boone released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians.
He was then fired from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. About a year later, the controversy died down and many fans, including Jack Hayford, accepted his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself". He was re-hired by Trinity Broadcasting and Gospel America was brought back.
In 2003, the Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In September 2006, Boone released Pat Boone R&B Classics - We Are Family, featuring cover versions of 11 R&B hits, including the title track, plus "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "Soul Man," "Get Down Tonight," "A Woman Needs Love," and six other classics.
In 2007 Pat Boone was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Boone and his wife live in Los Angeles, California. They are members of The Church on the Way in the San Fernando Valley. His one-time neighbor was Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Boone's cover of Osbourne's song "Crazy Train" became the theme song for The Osbournes. (It appears on The Osbournes Soundtrack.) Sharon Osbourne once said that Boone "never complained once" about living next door to their less-than-traditional family.
In 2006, Boone penned an article for WorldNetDaily in which he argued that Democrats and others who are against the Iraq War cannot, under any circumstances, be considered patriotic.[6] He was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders".[7] However, another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an anti-Semitic rant.[8]
In early 2007, Boone wrote two articles claiming that the theory of evolution is an "absurd," "nonsensical" "bankrupt false religion." [9][10] He later wrote an editorial in the form of a fairy tale where a young Prince Charming was seduced by a dwarf, got AIDS, and then overdosed.[11]
In the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election, Pat Boone campaigned for incumbent Republican Ernie Fletcher with a prerecorded automated telephone message stating that the Democratic Party candidate Steve Beshear would support "every homosexual cause." "Now do you want a governor who'd like Kentucky to be another San Francisco?" Boone asked.[12]
As Chevrolet spokesman
Pat Boone's well-groomed, clean-cut, boyish image won him a long-term product endorsement contract from General Motors during the late 1950s, lasting through the 60s.
Boone succeeded Dinah Shore singing the praises of the GM product: "See the USA in your Chevrolet...drive your Chevrolet through the USA, America's the greatest land of all!" In the 1989 documentary Roger and Me, Boone stated that he first was given a Corvette from the Chevrolet product line, but after he and wife started having children, at one child a year, GM supplied him with a station wagon as well.
Boone, who has endorsed an indeterminate number of products and services over the course of his career, said that more people identified him with Chevrolet than any other product.
Basketball interests
Boone was a basketball fan and had ownership interests in two teams. He owned a team in the Hollywood Studio League called the "Cooga Moogas." The Cooga Moogas included Bill Cosby, Rafer Johnson, Gardner McKay, Don Murray, and Denny "Tarzan" Miller.[13]
With the founding of the American Basketball Association Boone on February 2, 1967 became the majority owner of the league's team in Oakland, California.[13] The team was first named the Oakland Americans but was later renamed as the Oakland Oaks, the name under which it played from 1967 to 1969.[13] The Oaks won the 1969 ABA championship.[14]
Despite the Oaks' success on the court, the team had severe financial problems. One reason was that the Oaks were the only team in the ABA playing in a market with direct local competition from an NBA team, the Golden State Warriors. By August 1969 the Bank of America was threatening to foreclose on a $1.2 million loan to the Oaks,[15] and the team was sold to a group of businessmen in Washington, DC and became the Washington Caps.[16]
Discography
This section (citations needed for all charting numbers below) does not cite any references or sources. (February 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
1955: "Two Hearts, Two Kisses" (#16); "Ain't That a Shame" (#1); "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" (#7); "No Arms Can Ever Hold You" (#26)
1956: "Gee Whittakers!" (#19); "I'll Be Home" (#4); "Tutti Frutti" (#12); "Just As Long As I'm With You" (#76); "Long Tall Sally" (#8); "I Almost Lost My Mind" (#1); "Friendly Persuasion" (#5); "Chains of Love" (#20); "Howdy!"(#14)
1957: "Don't Forbid Me" (#1); "Anastasia" (#37); "Why Baby Why" (#5); "I'm Waiting Just For You" (#27); "Love Letters In The Sand" (#1); "Bernadine" (#14); "A Closer Walk With Thee" (#13); "Remember You're Mine" (#6); "There's A Gold Mine In The Sky" (#20); "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano" (#90); "April Love" (#1); Albums: Pat (#19); Four By Pat (#5); Pat Boone (#20); Pat's Great Hits (#3); Hymns We Love(#21); April Love (soundtrack) (#12)
1958: "A Wonderful Time Up There" (#4); "It's Too Soon To Know" (#11); "Cherie, I Love You" (#63); "Sugar Moon" (#5); "If Dreams Came True" (#7); "That's How Much I Love You" (#39); "Stardust" (#2); "For My Good Fortune" (#21); "Gee But It's Lonely" (#31); "Yes Indeed!" (#13); "I'll Remember Tonight" (#34)
1959: "With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair" (#21); "Good Rockin' Tonight" (#49); "For A Penny" (#23); "The Wang Dang Taffy-Apple Tango" (#62); "Twixt Twelve And Twenty" (#17); "Fools Hall Of Fame" (#29); "Beyond The Sunset" (#71); Album: Tenderly (#17)
1960: "(Welcome) New Lovers" (#18); "Words" (#94); "Walking The Floor Over You" (#44); "Spring Rain" (#50); "Moonglow" (#26); "Candy Sweet" (#72); "Delia Gone" (#66); "Dear John" (#44); "Alabam" (#47)
1961: "The Exodus Song (This Land Is Mine)" (#64); "Moody River" (#1); "Big Cold Wind" (#19); Albums: Moody River (#29); White Christmas (#39)
1962: "Johnny Will" (#35); "Pictures In The Fire" (#77); "I'll See You In My Dreams" (#32); "Quando Quando Quando" (#95); "Speedy Gonzales" (#6); "Ten Lonely Guys" (#45); "White Christmas" (#116); Albums: Pat Boone's Golden Hits (#66); State Fair (soundtrack) (#12);
1963: Albums: Pat Boone Sings Guess Who; The Touch of Your Lips; Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
1972: Albums: Come Together: A Musical Experience in Love
1973: Albums: Songs for the Jesus Folks
1976: Albums: Texas Woman
1981: Albums: Songmaker
1997: Albums: In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy
2002: Albums: American Glory
2006: Albums: Pat Boone R&B Classics - We Are Family
Filmography
Bernadine (1957)
April Love (1957)
Mardi Gras (1958)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
All Hands on Deck (1961)
State Fair (1962) featuring Boone's first on-screen kiss
The Main Attraction (1962)
The Horror of it All (1963)
Goodbye, Charlie (1964)
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
The Perils of Pauline (1967)
The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) starring Boone as David Wilkerson
The Magic of Lassie (1978) featuring Boone in the soundtrack singing "A Rose Is Not A Rose"
Roger & Me (1989)
Music Machine (1990) (Voice of Mr. Conductor)
Music Machine: Benny's Biggest Battle (1991) (Voice of Mr. Conductor)
References
^ Woodland, Shannon and Ross, Scott. BETWEEN THE LINER NOTES: Pat Boone and the New American Revolution. Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved on 2007-05-07.
^ Gerstenzang, Peter. "Pat 'n Leather." Columbia, Winter 2007-2008.
^ Soundtracks for Exodus (1960). imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ http://www.mymusicway.com/labels/lamblion.html
^ Let the Stellar Seller Beware. Time (1978-05-22). Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Boone, Pat (2006-03-25). As a matter of fact, sir, I do question your patriotism!. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Pat Boone rips Dixie Chicks for Bush bash. WorldNetDaily.com (2006-05-22). Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2006-08-05). Lay off Mel Gibson, for Christ's sake!. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2007-02-03). Poor Darwin's false religion. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2007-01-27). Charles Darwin's unfunny joke. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Boone, Pat (2007-09-22). A modern American fairy tale. WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Kleefeld, Eric (2007-11-04). Kentucky GOP Pushing Anti-Gay Message In Final Days Of Gov Race. TPM Election Central. TPM Media LLC.. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
^ a b c Oakland Oaks. Remember the ABA. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ 1968-69 ABA Regular Season Standings. Remember the ABA. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps/Virginia Squires Year-to-Year Franchise Notes. Remember the ABA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-14. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
^ Oakland Oaks/Washington Caps/Virginia Squires Year-to-Year Rosters. Remember the ABA. Archived from the original on 2007-06-26. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
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