A biography of Carl Perkins, a pivotal figure in the early rock 'n' roll era, highlights his consistent career and enduring influence despite lacking the dramatic downfall often associated with musical legends.
When history comes gunning for rock ’n’ roll’s ringleaders, Carl Perkins is the man most likely to elude cancellation. To this day, most trace history’s trajectory of rock ’n’ roll back to Elvis Presley. It was only the Beatles’ oft-professed fandom that rescued a few more of his clean-cut toe-tappers from the deluge circa ’64.
There’s naturally more to the Tennessee gent’s cotton-cum-guitar-pickin’ story, spanning as it does the hillbilly haylofts and honky-tonks of the ’40s to duets with Bono and Tom Petty in the ’90s. But pry as we might into the leaky shotgun shack of his Bible-belting plantation roots, it’s hard to find intrigue, much less scandal to hang him for. That’s Sydney rock journalist Jeff Apter’s main hurdle in this worthy chronicle of the Sun Records trailblazer. In the absence of your classic arc to glory, perdition and redemption, the author finds virtue instead in Stoic consistency as he pursues a meticulous six-decade chronology of the rockabilly cat’s road, every flop album just a pothole en route to, er, another shot at success. The drama peaks early. It was a Carl Perkins recording session that spawned one of the great artefacts of the early rock ’n’ roll era, when Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis joined him around the Sun Records piano for a December 1956 jam released after 25 years of legal wrangling as “The Million Dollar Quartet” December 4, 1956 in Memphis, Tennessee. But Perkins’ stock had already stalled by then, thanks to a terrible car accident nine months earlier that stole his momentum just as “Blue Suede Shoes” was taking off. Modest to a fault, the songwriter always voiced praise and gratitude for his stupendously handsome, hip-shaking buddy’s comprehensive hijacking of his signature song. “Any person playing this kind of music was so fortunate that we had a guy to open the door like Elvis,” he said much later
Carl Perkins Rockabilly Sun Records The Million Dollar Quartet Music History
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Carl Perkins: The Unsung Hero of Rock 'n' RollThis article delves into the life and career of Carl Perkins, a key figure in the early days of rock 'n' roll, who often gets overshadowed by contemporaries like Elvis Presley. Despite his lack of scandal and dramatic downfall, Perkins' influence and consistency are highlighted in this chronicle of his journey.
Read more »
Alex Perkins and Matt Temple win bronze at swimming world short course championshipsAlex Perkins and Matt Temple grabbed bronze medals for Australia on a record-shattering day, again dominated by US sensation Gretchen Walsh.
Read more »
Landowners who sold up for Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project offered buybacksMore than 50 Pioneer Valley residents have the option to buy their properties back from Queensland Hydro after its energy storage project was cancelled.
Read more »
Maggie Tabberer: From Vogue Cover Model to Media PioneerMaggie Tabberer, born in Adelaide in 1936, was the first Australian to feature on the cover of the local edition of Vogue magazine in the 1960s. She later became a household name in Australia as the editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, a designer of the Maggie T plus-sized clothing range, and a Gold Logie-winning television presenter.
Read more »
AI Pioneer Sees 10-20% Chance of Human Extinction in Three DecadesGeoffrey Hinton, a leading figure in artificial intelligence, warns that there is a 10-20% chance of AI leading to human extinction within the next 30 years. He cites the rapid pace of AI development as a major concern, likening the potential dangers to a three-year-old controlling a much more intelligent being.
Read more »
Ocean Pioneer Bruce Cropp Still Exploring at 88This article tells the story of Bruce Cropp, a renowned underwater filmmaker and explorer who continues to be fascinated by the ocean at the age of 88. It highlights his achievements, including his pioneering work in underwater film, his numerous shipwreck discoveries, and his collaborations with famous figures.
Read more »