| Description |
xxii, 337 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm. |
| Series |
Excelsior editions |
|
Excelsior editions.
|
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Summary |
"An unflinching look at the triumphs and tragedies of '50s rock and roll, from the biggest stars, like Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins, to those who barely grabbed the spotlight"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Contents |
Part I: Hitmakers and bold-faced names. Carl Perkins meets Elvis in a high school parking Lot / with Shawn Pitts ; LaVern Baker : play it fair ; Frankie Laine : bringing passion to pop ; Ella Johnson : since I fell for you ; Charlie Rich : before the fox was silver ; Betty Johnson : no more singing for her supper ; Rosco Gordon : just a little bit ; Ella Mae Morse : so much, so soon -- Part II: One-hit wonders, wannabees, and supporting characters. Chuck Miller : fryers, broilers, and the House of Blue Lights ; Huelyn Duvall : close but no cigar ; Eddy Bell : his alter ego became a star ; Sherry Crane : a parakeet visits 706 Union Avenue ; Ben Hewitt : the best known unknown ; Joey Riesenberg : the scrapyard drummer ; Troy Shondell : the early years of a one-hit wonder ; Carl Mann : that "Mona Lisa" boy -- Part III: Chasing the story. How Elvis and the Jones Brothers ended up in the Memphis landfill ; Hannah Fay and Jeannie Greene : searching for missing singers ; Allerton and Alton : black, white, and bluegrass ; Donna Dameron loses her gig in an Iowa cornfield ; The Kirby Sisters : envy wrapped in red velvet ; "Unchained melody" : the pre-ghost story ; Chuck Berry and other passengers on the hellbound train ; Delia's not gone : the musical legacy of the late Delia Green / with Paula Cimba -- Part IV: Doo wop stories. A brief introduction to doo wop ; The Paragons meet the Turbans ; The Channels : the closer you look ; God or girlfriend? : the Prisonaires create a very confusing love song ; Going steady with the Pearls ; The Six Teens meet the Cleftones -- Part V: The bigger picture. The first rock 'n' roll record and other creation myths ; politically incorrect music in the 1950s / with Scott Parker ; "Sugartime" and other subtle sexual content in '50s music ; Looking under the covers / with Scott Parker ; The dozen most influential records of the 1950s ; Instrumental hit records : no words were necessary / with Scott Parker ; Ancestors of the Chipmunks ; The Bobbys : an antidote to all that rockin'. |
| Subject |
Popular music -- United States -- 1951-1960 -- History and criticism.
|
|
Sound recording industry -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
|
|
Singers -- United States.
|
|
Musicians -- United States.
|
|
Musicians. (OCoLC)fst01030837
|
|
Popular music. (OCoLC)fst01071422
|
|
Singers. (OCoLC)fst01119301
|
|
Sound recording industry. (OCoLC)fst01127019
|
|
United States. (OCoLC)fst01204155
|
| Chronological Term |
1900-1999
|
| Genre/Form |
Criticism, interpretation, etc. (OCoLC)fst01411635
|
|
History. (OCoLC)fst01411628
|
| Added Title |
An unsweetened look at Fifties music |
| ISBN |
9781438492681 (paperback) |
|
1438492685 (paperback) |
|
