A Classic Rockabilly Show ... A little Country twang mixed with some Southern, Delta Blues and cool gospel harmonies creates a musical potion that will have you tappin' your toes to one of the hottest specialty bands to hit the Northwest. "Billy & the Rockets" a four piece combo of "hep cats" from the Willamette Valley in Oregon perform a fast paced, hard driving show reminiscent of the early days of raw Rockabilly and Rhythm & Blues. Formed from seasoned musicians "Billy & the Rockets" combines drums, upright bass, classic Gibson electric, and Fender "Stratocaster" dual lead guitars with outstanding vocals to deliver the authentic sounds of American pop music of the 1950's. Re-live the era of Eisenhower and Davy Crockett ... Sputnik and the Hula Hoop ... through unforgettable hits by Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly,
Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Hank Williams, Eddie Cochran, Johnnie Cash, Buddy Knox and many others.
The band shines with vocal renditions of early "Do-Wop" artists such as, The Chords, Coasters, Swallows,
Mel Carter, Little Anthony & the Imperials, The Silhouettes, Del Vikings, Tommy Edwards, The Platters
and many others who made the Fabulous Fifties an unforgettable period in American history. Where It Began A Rock'a'Billy History Lesson ... "Hillbilly" and "Gospel" musical styles from the southern Appalachian region that had gained wild popularity in Nashville, Tennessee during the early thirties, gradually became mixed with Mississippi delta "Rhythm and Blues" during the late forties and early fifties. The sleepy Mississippi river town of Memphis, Tennessee became the perfect melting pot for this mixture of styles and the man with the stirring spoon was Sam Phillips. By the early 1950's, Sun Studio's bold new producer, Sam Phillips recognized the explosive potential of mixing white and black musical styles and introduced it to a young listening audience as "Rock and Roll!" The artists he chose to record in his studio went on to become the icons of early rock ... Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins made up the "Sun Studio's Million Dollar Quartet." But What About Do-Wop? ... Do-wop is vocal-based rhythm and blues music which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s. Perhaps the earliest example of do-wop is the song "My Prayer" recorded in 1939 by The Ink Spots. The vocal group harmony style of R&B, has its roots planted firmly in Gospel music, and emerged from the streets of north-eastern Rust Belt cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Baltimore. With its smooth, consonant vocal harmonies, do-wop became one of the most mainstream, pop-oriented R&B styles of the 1950s. |
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