maracas: Bo Diddley would often incorporate Latin percussion instruments such as maracas

blue Notes: Sometimes in blues there also extra notes added to the scales called blue Note. These are notes often used by singers and
make the music sound especially sad or bluesy

Twelve- bar blues form :This is a musical recipe for playing blues music. It lasts for 12 measure or “bars” and makes use of three
different chords (I, IV, V) played in a specific pattern. This formula is consistently used in most blues music and is something with which
every blues musician is quite familiar.

polyrhythm: Poly rhythms are multiple rhythms performed at the same time and Johnson will often be singing in one rhythm and
playing the guitar in a different one. (rhythm)

boogie Woogie: Chicago blues is in urban blues style that often utilized boogie Woogie piano. Boogie Woogie is a spirited and rhythmic
piano style developed by African-Americans in the south during the 20s and copied by many white performers eventually it will become
basic to most rock piano styles. It is from both blues and Country Roots. Memphis Slim is one of the most important proponents and
developers a boogie-woogie piano playing

neumatic: Pneumatic singing is a type of vocalizing that will use 1 to 3 notes per syllable of text. A good example of a song typically
performed in a pneumatic sale is the American national anthem the star spangled Banner

eight bar periods: The musical phrasing heard in country music is also almost always broken up into groups of four beats and felt very
easily by the listener these kind of groupings are called for bar phrases and eight bar period Structures.

Ostinato pattern: fat dominos style. (Im walkin, blueberry Hill, ain’t that a shame ,the fat man)The songs often use short repeated
melodies down in the base (ostinato patterns) which help to draw the listener in and his songs typically use a structure of alternating
verses and choruses.

Solid body electric guitar: Buddy holly’s significance to early rock music is that he is one of the first rock musicians to use the solid bodied
electric guitar. This instrument was still relatively new in the music industry and one of its advantages was the players ability to easily control
volume. Even today acoustic guitars are notoriously difficult to amplify. They tend to be either too loud or too soft and feedback from the sound
system is constantly a concern. The solid bodied electric guitar solved many of those issues.

Mann act: This law was in place to stop human trafficking specifically sex trafficking of people under age the law stated that only the legal
guardian of a minor could take them across state lines

Pop song form: the usual layout is verse one verse two chorus verse one or AABA this structure is so common today its referred to as pop
song form

Syllabic: Syllabus singing is a type that matches the notes and the syllables of the text. Most children songs (Mary had a little lamb, old
McDonald, twinkle twinkle little star, ETC.) are syllabic. This makes sense for a child since they can match the notes and the text as they sing.
most kids would have a really difficult time singing a song that should be performed melismatically.

AABA: The usual layout is : verse 1 ,verse 2 ,chorus ,verse 1

Psalms: depending on the culture these songs (spirituals) have different names. From a white western European tradition these works are called
psalms or hymns. The pieces are typically notated and performed through the reading of sheet music
race music

doo wop progression: This is a secular music performed by primarily African-American groups. Doo-wop is primarily a vocal style and the
instrumentation is mainly used for backing up the voices. The term “doo-wop” comes from nonsense syllables used by back up singers. It is in the
style that the singers will use syllables like ‘oh, la, or hmmm’. Similar to the 12 bar blues progression, DOO-WOP has its own chord progression
(I-vi7-ii7-V7) which is used quite commonly and carries the name of the style.

call and response: is When a singer and an instrument will alternate in a “conversational” manner. The origins of this technique can be traced
back to the villages in Africa where call and response was done between people during a celebration

string bending: Sometimes in music there are also extra notes added to the scales called blue Notes. These are notes often used by singers and
make the music sound especially sad or “bluesy.” Instrumentalists like guitarists will often incorporate string bending on their instruments to play
these blue Notes.
BB King would eventually become known for his lyrical playing style and his incorporation of string bending to imitate his voice he makes a
guitar sound like a human voice he wouldn’t ever seeing and play at the same time to him playing and singing at the same time would be like a
conversation in which two people were talking simultaneously
backbeat: Regarding the rhythms used in blues music, there will be more emphasis on the back beats (the second and fourth beats of each four-
beat group) and uneven beat subdivisions. Simply put, this music has a swinging rhythmic quality which can make the music sound sad or
emotionally expressive.
bottle neck guitar: Bottlenecked guitar is the use of a glass bottle neck sliding up and down the strings to imitate the sound of a blues singer.
Robert Johnson Inc. bottleneck guitar including CrossRoads blues ,Sweet home Chicago, hell bound on my trail

recitative: Recitative singing is a kind of vocal performing that has a few notes but a lot of syllables of text. Hip-hop or rap or kinds of music that
are performed that way. The singer will sit on one note for extended periods and recite many words.

melismatic: melismatic singing is a style that uses many notes per syllable of text. This kind of singing is usually considered very technical and
musicians will describe it as “flowery” or “florid.” I will always love you by Whitney Houston

four-bar phrases: The musical phrasing heard in country music is almost always broken up into groups of four beats and felt very easily by the
listener. These kinds of groupings are called four-bar phrases and eight-bar period Structures

hillbilly: Commercial form of folk music that developed into a variety of styles of its own sometimes during the 19th century. The earliest forms
of country music were first called hillbilly music. If you’re not familiar today hillbilly is a pejorative term which refers to backwoods, southern
person who is an educated and has questionable hygiene practices.

field holler: There would be a leader called a field holler who would call out some sort of short, rhythmic melodic figure and the rest of the
workers would respond. In the Americas it was used by the slaves in the fields in the form of work songs. this was done in an attempt to keep up
the momentum of the work.

Bo Diddley beat: In many of his songs Diddley would use a rhythm which is referred to date as the Bo Diddley beat this rhythm is expressed in
music notation and has been used in many popular songs such as Mr. brownstone by Guns N’ Roses ,desire by U2 and I want Candy by Bow
Wow Wow.. two of Diddley’s greatest hits called Bo Diddley and who do you love.His style was rock oriented but was considered rhythm and
blues. He would become known for his strong rhythmic guitar playing in which he would aggressively strum the guitar strings while keeping the
muted in his fretting hand giving the guitar a drum like percussive quality

Two-part harmony: This kind of singing is somewhat unique to popular music and is done by the two voices singing simultaneously but different
notes. Thru this type of vocalization, chords or harmonies are built. The Everly Brothers; the brothers grew up in a musical family as both of their
parents were country musicians. Don and Philip both played guitar and sang two part harmony.

Pentatonic scales: Blues music makes use of pentatonic scales most of the time. These are scales with five different notes in them and they are
used primarily to imitate the sound of a blues singer. The scales are also used because by using fewer notes than the more traditional major or
minor scale variants there is more freedom to improvise

Beat subdivisions: uneven beat subdivisions simply put this music has a swinging rhythmic quality which can make the music sound sad or
emotionally expressive

Two beat bass: The base lines in country music will normally alternated between two notes and this kind of playing is referred to as two-beat
bass.

Hymns: depending on the culture these songs (spirituals) have different names. From a white Western European tradition these works are called
psalms or hymns. The pieces are typically notated and performed through the reading of sheet music

Week 1: roots of rock music

Erroll Garner: pianist and musician (1923-1977) who was self-taught on the instrument and could not read sheet music. He played
everything by ear! Played a jazz standard called HONEYSICKLE ROSE originally by Thomas ‘fats’ Waller the excerpt is a rare
performance filmed Ca. 1964 in London. His playing is an excellent example of STRIDE PIANO. Notice how his left hand is often times
traveling back-and-forth across the keyboard alternating between a single note and a chord.This kind of playing is quite difficult the
stride playing originated in ragtime music, was used by jazz players and then was later picked up a rock musicians.

Scott Joplin: (1868-1917) The most influential American RAGTIME pianist and composer. his music was very popular; during his life he became
known as the “king of ragtime”. along with being a player and composer he also taught mandolin,guitar, and piano. He wrote 44 original Ragtime
pieces for solo piano, one ballet, and two operas. Joplin was one of the first American born composer to have compose an opera and have it
performed in the United States. Solo piano work, MAPLE LEAF RAG is a listening example to Joplin’s biggest commercial Success which he
published in 1889 it’s sold over 1 million copies of sheet music while Joplin was still alive And would bring him royalties for the rest of his life.

IRVING BERLIN:(1888-1989) Most important TIN PAN ALLEY composer. He was Israeli and came to the US when he was 4yo. he would
remain a resident of the US and eventually become a citizen. He wrote tin pan alley hits, most importantly GOD BLESS AMERICA (1918) it
was written one year after the US entered the first war

LOUIS ARMSTRONG:(1901-1971)Most important early JAZZ musician; one of the most important JAZZ musicians of the 20th century. Was
born in New Orleans. best known as a cornet or trumpet player. would later become known as a great jazz singer as well as one of the first
African-American musicians to have crossover among both Caucasian and African-American audiences. he came to his prominence in the 1920s
with KING OLIVERS CREOLE JAZZ BAND. Armstrong plays trumpet in JUST GONE (1923)&& CANAL STREET BLUES (1923)
Fletcher Henderson:Important band leader from the SWING JAZZ era (1897-1952)

Don Redman: Important band leader from the SWING JAZZ era (1900-1964)

Benny Carter: Important band leader from the SWING JAZZ era (1907-2003)

Glenn Miller: Important band leader from the SWING JAZZ era (1904-1944)

Duke Ellington: The most musically significant big band leader during the SWING JAZZ era was duke Ellington (1899-1974)Was an American
born pianist composer, arranger, and band leader. came from a musical family. both his parents were pianists. He started learning the instrument
at a very young age. as a composer he was quite active and by the end of his life he had written over 1000 compositions . today he is known as a
JAZZ MUSICIAN but he also worked in Gospels, blues, film music, pop, and even classical music. Most well-known works—noticed the use of
comping and walking bass in these compositions—MOOD INDIGO (1930), THE JEEP IS JUMPIN(1938), TAKE THE A TRAIN(1941)

Week 2:Urban blues and rhythm and blues

Robert Johnson: (1911-1938) One of the most influential country blues or Delta blues guitarist was born from Mississippi Delta much of his life
is shrouded in mystery. was quite expressive as a musician and people would say his musical talents came from a pact he made with the devil.
part of the mystery surrounding his life and music is connected with his death. he died at 27 years old was probably poisoned. was probably killed
by a spurned woman he was having a relationship with or her husband. CROSSROADS BLUES(1936),SWEET HOME CHICAGO (1936),
HELLHOUND ON MY TRAIL (1937) in the songs he incorporates bottleneck guitar and polyrhythms.Johnson will often be singing in one
rhythm and playing the guitar in a different one.

Ma Rainey: (1886-1939) CLASSIC BLUES SINGER,Rainey was a musical mentor to Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith: (1894-1937) classic blues singer, Being a few years younger than Rainey, Smith was heavily influenced by Raineys singing
style.The two toured and performed together and we’re friendly musical rivals.

LOST YOUR HEAD BLUES(1926)

B.B. KING:(1925-2015)-URBAN BLUES, Born in Mississippi as Riley b. king. young aspiring musician grew up singing in a gospel choir. king
bought his first guitar at 12 years old and initially was playing on acoustic instruments and performing in more of a country blue style. 1949 he
begins playing and recording electric guitar. during this period he started using his nickname B.B, comes from “blues boy” which was a
nickname king picked up while he was working at a radio station as a singer and jockey in the late 1940s. he would eventually be known for his
‘lyrical’ playing style and his incorporation of STRING BENDING to imitate the voice. Makes guitar sound like a human voice. he wouldn’t ever
sing and play at the same time, sees his music as a conversation between his voice and guitar. Lucille is the name king gave to his guitars he had
many different guitars and he always named them Lucille because of an experience he had in the late 1940s over a woman two man were fighting
over named Lucille; as a reminder never againTo do something stupid as run into a burning building over a fight over a woman. early hit for King
called 3 O’CLOCK BLUES(1951), biggest hit THE THRILL IS GONE(1969) notice the call and response between his voice in the guitar and the
way the guitar sounds almost like another singer

Memphis slim:(1915-1988) Chicago blues,One of the most important proponents and developers of boogie-woogie piano playing..Was an
American pianist, singer, and composer. born in Memphis Tennessee as John Lenn Chatman. slim was taught the piano by his father who was a
musician. In 1939 slim moved to Chicago and established himself as an important figure in the Chicago blues scene and became sought after
studio musician and by the end of his career he had over 500 recordings with many different blues and early rock musicians.Slim’s biggest
commercial hit EVERYDAY I HAVE THE BLUES In (1949)

muddy Waters: (1915 1938)Important figure in CHICAGO BLUES, probably the most directly influential Chicago blues musician who impacted
early rock musicians.Was born in McKinley Morganfield was also from Mississippi Delta nickname came from “mudding” for fish. started out
playing acoustic, country blues, and then later began playing electric blues, began playing electric instruments when he moved to Chicago in
1940.Eventually would become known as the “father of modern Chicago blues” because of his musical productivity and influence. early hits are
both excellent example of his style, HOOCHIE HOOCHIE MAN (1954), GOT MY MOJO WORKIN’ (1956)

BO DIDDLEY: (1928-2008)Most important of the early R&B musicians. born as Ellas Bates from the Mississippi Delta. 1934 moves with his
family to Chicago. as a kid he studies trombone and violin and eventually took up guitar. would become known for his strong, rhythmic guitar
playing in which he would aggressively strum the guitar strings while keeping them muted in his fretting hand giving the guitar a drum-like
Percussive quality. “ i’m a rhythm fanatic. I played the guitar as if I were playing drums.” Uses a guitar that is somewhat unusual in design with a
rectangular body. he landed awkwardly hurting his groin with a Gibson L5 guitar. he went about designing a smaller less restrictive guitar that
allowed him to keep jumping around on stage while he was performing. his style was rock oriented but was considered rhythm and blues.
Diddley would often incorporate Latin percussion instruments such as maracas. his songsWould use a rhythm which is referred to as the BO
DIDDLEY BEAT. WHO DO YOU LOVE(1956)& BO DIDDLEY(1955) His biggest hits that incorporated the Bo Diddley beat

Mr. brownstone by Guns N’ Roses, desire by U2 ,and I want count candy by Bow Wow Wow

Had Bo Diddley Beat.

WILLIE DIXON: (1915-1992) was an American blues musician vocalist,songwriter, arranger and record producer. Grammy award winner & was
proficient on both the upright bass and guitar and as a vocalist is perhaps best known as one of the most prolific songwriters of his time. is
recognized as one of the founders of the Chicago blues sound.his songs have been recorded by countless musicians in many genres as well as by
various ensembles in which he participated. had a number of popular songs that would eventually influence a generation of musicians. next to
Muddy Waters and Memphis Slim he was one of the most influential people in shaping the post World War II sound of the Chicago blues.he is
also an important link between the blues and rock ‘n’ roll, working with Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley in the late 1950s. his songs were covered
by some of the biggest artists of more recent times including Bob Dylan, cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds, Rolling Stones,
queen, Megadeth, the doors, the Allman BrothersBand, and Grateful Dead.

WEEK 2:GOSPEL AMD COUNTRY ROOTS OF ROCK

SOUL STIRRERS: early GOSPEL group originally from Texas and first formed in 1926. Helped influence Both gospel and gospel influenced
pop styles like soul,Motown, and doo-wop. they are known as an authentic representation of gospel music. in 1936 they recorded for the library
of Congress archives as an example of gospel music. the group has had many members however the group is still active and performing. JESUS
GAVE ME WATER (1951), HOW FAR AM I FROM CANAAN?(1952)

SAM COOKE: (1931-1964)Both of the songs above were recorded by lead singer Sam Cooke who joined the group in 1950 and later went on to
have cross over POP success.

EDWIN HAWKINS:(1943-2018)Important early gospel group was the Edwin Hawkins singers. Was a California born composer and choir
Director. got an early start in music at age 7, he was already the keyboardist to his families gospel choir. He helped popularize gospel by using a
larger choir than earlier gospel groups and adding keyboard,electric guitar, electric bass and drums.His music also tended to emphasize the
instruments more than the earlier gospel groups and this gave his music more of a connection with the popular music of the mid 20th century. OH
HAPPY DAY(1969), EVERY MAN WANTS TO BE FREE(1970)

The Chords: African-American group from New York, formed in 1951. They were discovered when they were heard singing in a subway station
by a record industry person. Once signed to a label, they recorded and released their biggest hit  Sh-Boom in 1954. They are the original writers to
sh-boom.

The Crew-Cuts: were a White-Canadian group, formed in 1952 after singing together in a choir as children. name of the group referred to their
short, conservative haircuts. In 1954, they released their own cover version of the song Sh-boom by The Chords. The song Sh-Boom was first
recorded on Atlantic Records' subsidiary label Cat Records by The Chords on March 15, 1954 and would be their only hit song. Sh-Boom reached
#2 on the Billboard R&B charts and peaked at #9 on the pop charts. It is sometimes considered to be the first doo-wop or rock 'n' roll record to
reach the top ten on the pop charts (as opposed to the R&B charts). This version was ranked #215 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest
Songs of All Time and is the group's only song on the list. A more traditional version was made by The Crew-Cuts for Mercury Records and was
#1 on the Billboard charts in for nine weeks during August and September 1954. The single first entered the charts on July 30, 1954 and stayed
for 20 weeks. In some magazine’s best-selling record charts, where both versions were combined, the song reached #1. Even though both
recordings are obviously the same song, pay attention to some of the musical differences. The instrumentation chosen, style of singing, tempos,
etc. Both recordings were popular, but it is worth noting that the cover version did better commercially than the original. 

HANK WILLIAMS SR.: biggest country music artist in the mid-20th century, was born in Alabama as Hiram King Williams. would later change
his name to Hank because he believed it would be better for his public persona. As a young man, first learned guitar from a street performer who
exchanged lessons for meals. By 1937, Williams is beginning to perform on the radio. A few years later, he starts drinking heavily when his band
members are conscripted to military service during WWII. Williams was unable to enlist because he suffered from chronic back pain and was
considered unfit to serve. Part of his reasons for drinking was admittedly boredom because his band members were gone serving in the military.

Despite his heavy drinking he was very popular commercially. From 1948 to 1953 he had 11 number one songs and was by far the biggest name
in country music. During his final years, heavy consumption of alcohol, morphine and other painkillers severely compromised his personal and
professional life and in 1953, Williams died suddenly in the early morning hours of New Years Day. The cause of death was heart failure brought
on by pills and alcohol. He was only 29 years old. two of William's number one songs from the late years of his life. His recordings are consistent
in their use of the musical elements commonly heard in country music. YOUR CHEATIN HEART(1952), ILL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS
WORLD ALIVE(1952)

JOHNNY CASH: (1932-2003) country musician, born into poverty in Kingsland, Arkansas and was taught the guitar by his mother and a
childhood friend. He was musically inclined as a child and began writing songs as a young boy. Cash was heavily influenced by both gospel and
traditional Irish music. In the 1950s, he would begin drinking heavily and then subsequently become addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates.
Throughout his career, Cash had an "outlaw image" and was known as "The Man in Black". Part of this was due to the fact that he always wore
black in public and part was due to some of the events in his life. One story that propagated this image took place in the mid-1960s. In June of
1965, Cash was driving in central California. While traveling, his truck caught fire due to an overheated wheel bearing. The fire triggered a forest
fire that burnt several hundred acres in the Los Padres National Forest.When the judge asked Cash why he did it, Cash said, "I didn't do it, my
truck did, and it's dead, so you can't question it." The fire destroyed 508 acres, burning the foliage off of three mountains and killing 49 of the
refuge's 53 endangered condors. Cash was unrepentant and was quoted in an interview that, "I don't care about your damn yellow buzzards." The
federal government sued him and was awarded $125,172 ($923,127 today according to inflation). Cash eventually settled the case and paid
$82,001. He would later say that he was the only person ever sued by the government for starting a forest fire. After a long and productive career,
Cash would die of complications from diabetes in 2003. his biggest commercial hit, I Walk the Line:(1956)

ALAN FREED: The term “rock & roll” was first used to identify rhythm & blues. Credit for the term is given to a radio disc jockey named Alan
Freed (1921-1965)Freed was an important radio and television personality in the late 1950s and early 1960s who was a celebrity in his own right.
He was famous for being the host of different programs. A good comparison to someone today might be Ryan Seacrest. When Freed was hosting
one of his radio programs he used the tern rock & roll to describe some rhythm & blues that he was playing on the radio. The term stuck.
BILL HALEY: One of the early innovators of rock music who came from a country background was Bill Haley. He is often cited as the "father of
rock music", because of his early success. was born in Michigan and he left home at 15 years old with the intentions of becoming a musician.

SADDLEMEN: Before diving into rock music, BILL HALEY was performing country as the lead singer of a group called the Saddlemen. By
1952, the group would change their name to Bill Haley and His Comets (sometimes Bill Haley and The Comets) and they would begin
performing rock music. 

By 1954, they are beginning to have some commercial success with a cover version of a blues recording called Shake, Rattle and Roll. The
original recording was by blues musician “Big” Joe Turner (1911-1985). Shake, Rattle and Roll (1954) by "Big" Joe Turner,,Shake, Rattle and
Roll (1954) by Bill Haley and The Comets. Notice the stylistic differences between the two versions. The original is considerably slower and has
more of a "swinging" quality typical in the blues. The cover version by Haley is faster and more energetic. Because of this, it does not swing in
the same way. The lyrics are also different. In his version, Haley has taken out any lyrics that are even slightly sexual to ensure that his version
gets played on the radio. Later in 1954, Haley releases another recording which would eventually become his biggest commercial hit:Rock
Around the Clock (1954) Below is a video is a performance of the same song from a television show called the Ted Steel Show produced out of
New York in 1956. Notice there are young girls dancing during the performance. This was the producers attempts to make rock & roll seem fun
and innocent to the audience. Haley would go on to have a long, successful career as one of the pioneers of rock music. However, artistically he
never really achieved the same success of the 1950s hits and later in his life, Haley admittedly struggled with alcoholism and mental problems
related to a brain tumor which lead to increasingly bizarre behavior. Towards the end of his life, Haley would make bizarre, mostly monologue
late-night phone calls to friends and relatives in which he seemed incoherently drunk or ill. Haley's first wife has been quoted as saying, "He
would call and ramble and dwell on the past, his mind was really warped." Media reports immediately following his death indicated Haley
displayed deranged and erratic behavior in his final weeks. In a biography of Haley by John Swenson, Haley was described as painting the
windows of his home black as a way to avoid direct sunlight. However, there is little direct, personal information about Haley's final days.

Elvis Presley: (1935-1977)was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935 and would move with his parents to Memphis, Tennessee when he was 13
years old. Eventually, he would become the "king of rock & roll", but his beginnings were humble and nothing out of the ordinary. As a child he
was very close to his mother and she encouraged him to both sing and learn to play the guitar. Along with his mother's influence, the music of the
church was an important part of Elvis' musical development. That's All Right (1954) performed by Elvis Presley, Blue Moon of Kentucky(1954)
performed by Elvis Presley, Heartbreak Hotel, Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog by  Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton (1952)Hound Dog by Elvis
PresleY, Don’t Be Cruel, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up With these early hits, there was controversy surrounding Presley's performing style.
Because of the way he danced and the reactions of the young, female fans; Presley was considered very sexual in his performances and
inappropriate for young people. “It isn’t enough to say that Elvis is kind to his parents. That still isn’t a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in
public before millions of impressionable kids.” -New York Journal (1958) In 1956, Presley first performed on television and received a very
strong reaction (mostly negative) from audiences. The performance is of Hound Dog on the Milton Berle show and it was considered way too
sexual for a family show, especially at the end when Elvis and the band slow down. Pay attention to the reaction of the audience. As Presley's
career progressed and he became more and more famous, he became more isolated. He struggled with his weight and prescription medication
addiction in the last years of his life and became the "cartoonish" version of Elvis with the Las Vegas-styled jumpsuits. He died in 1977 of an
overdose and became the first rock musician that was forced to deal with the “blinding” success of fame. By most accounts, even though he was
very famous, he was also quite lonely and felt isolated by fame. He would do things like call department stores or movie theaters in advance, so
they would open up for only him in the middle of the night. He could then shop by himself or see movies in theaters alone, so he wouldn't be
hounded by fans. 

SUN RECORDS: In 1954, he does some of his first recording with Sam Phillips (pictured with Elvis above) at Sun Records in Memphis. Phillips
was eager to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience and that's basically what he found in Elvis Presley.

“If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound, and the Negro feel,  I could make a million dollars.”  -Sam Phillips Some of the early
singles with Sun Records demonstrate a few things about Elvis' talent. He would often cover songs, but he had an innate ability to change the
songs just enough to make it sound distinctly like him. Even though he was largely influenced by country music, Elvis was also very much
interested in the blues and he incorporated both genres into his own music. The following recordings are two early songs that Elvis recorded and
the original versions by the original artists. Notice the stylistic changes that Elvis makes in his cover versions. That’s All Right (Mama) (1946) by
Arthur "Big Boy", Crudup (1905-1974). Crudup was a delta blues singer and guitarist. He is best known outside blues circles for writing songs
later covered by Elvis Presley and dozens of other artists, such as "That's All Right" (1946), "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine. In
1956, Presley signs with RCA records and in that year releases numerous songs that become some of his most important hits and help to solidify
him as an international superstar. Again, none of these songs are originally by Elvis Presley. Included in the recordings by Elvis is the original
artist of Hound Dog. It was first recorded by a classic blues singer named Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.

CARL PERKINS: Carl Perkins (1932-1998)Another rockabilly artist that signed with Sun Records in 1955 was Carl Perkins. Sam Phillips
thought he could be a bigger start than Elvis, because Perkins wrote his own songs and played lead guitar quite well. This turned out to not be the
case for a number of reasons. In 1956, Perkins was in a car accident while on tour and the accident left him badly injured. He was in the hospital
for months recovering from his injuries and this was during a time that it was critical for him to be out touring and performing to build his
fanbase. The fact that he was unable to do this forced him to miss that important window of opportunity. Also, it should be noted that even if he
hadn't gotten injured; he probably didn't have the same commercial appeal that Elvis did. Simply put, Elvis Presley was very good looking and
part of his success was his physical appearance. By the mid-1950s, most people had televisions in their homes and because of this, the look of an
entertainer was really important. It took some time before music industry people came to realize the power of television, but it's fair to say that
most people understand this now.  In 1956, Perkins writes and records his most popular song, Blue Suede Shoes.  Most people today know the
Presley version, but it is an original song by Carl Perkins.The origins from the song are from when Perkins played a dance on December 4, 1955.
He noticed a couple dancing near the stage. The guy was just average looking, but the girl was beautiful. Between songs, Carl heard a stern,
forceful voice say, "Uh-uh, don't step on my suedes!" Carl looked down and noted that the boy was wearing blue suede shoes and one had a scuff
mark. Carl thought to himself, “Good gracious, a pretty little thing like that and all he can think about is his blue suede shoes.” Blue Suede
Shoes (1956)

Jerry Lee Lewis: (1935)Another rockabilly musician who signed with Sun Records was Jerry Lee Lewis. Lewis was a pianist and singer who is
considered rockabilly, but was influenced by both blues and country music. Like many of the rockabilly artists from the 1950s, Lewis would
cover blues songs, but he wouldn't “sanitize” them by changing lyrics or deemphasizing musical characteristics that make the music sound like
the blues. He was also one of the artists who was followed by controversy and was nicknamed “The Killer” because of his wild performing style.
In 1957, he recorded and released Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On  which was originally recorded by a classic blues singer named Big Maybelle in
1955. Below are both recordings: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (1955) by Big Maybelle, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (1957) by Jerry Lee
Lewis, Later in the same year, Lewis records his biggest commercial hit, Great Balls of Fire. The song would bring him incredible success, but it
would be relatively short-lived once a marriage scandal involving the artist was made public. Great Balls of Fire (1957) In 1958, Lewis got
married for the third time. The problem was, his bride was 13 years old (he was 22) and she was his first cousin. Here is a picture of the couple:
Lewis tried to keep the marriage a secret for as long as possible, but once word got out in the public; his career was basically destroyed. The vast
majority of the American public was not accepting of the relationship and Lewis' career took a nosedive. Here is a quote from the musician
referencing what happened:“From $10,000 to $250 a night is a hell of a disappointment.”  -Jerry Lee Lewis His career never truly, fully
recovered. In subsequent years, Lewis would enjoy some commercial success over in Europe (probably because Europeans were less likely to
know about the scandal), but the marriage in large part ruined his performing career.  The marriage lasted 12 years and to date, Lewis has been
married seven times in total.

Buddy Holly: (1938-1959) He was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas and as a child he played multiple instruments such as the
fiddle, banjo, guitar and piano. Holly would credit Elvis for introducing him to rock & roll and in contrast to Presley, Holly had a relatively clean-
cut image as a performer. Part of his significance to early rock music is that he is one of the first rock musicians to use the solid-bodied electric
guitar. This instrument was still relatively new in the music industry and one of its advantages was the players ability to easily control volume.
Even today, acoustic guitars are notoriously difficult to amplify. They tend to be either too loud or too soft and feedback from the sound system is
constantly a concern. The solid-bodied electric guitar solved many of those issues. Below are two video clips of Buddy Holly with his band The
Crickets. These are both original songs written by Holly and its worth noting the conservative look of both Holly and his band. That’ll Be the
Day (1957) ,Peggy Sue (1957)

Everly Brothers: The group is in fact made up of two brothers, Don (1937) and Phil Everly (1939-2014). The brothers grew up in a musical
family as both of their parents were country musicians. Don and Phil both played guitar and sang two-part harmony. This kind of singing is
somewhat unique to popular music and is done by the two voices singing simultaneously, but different notes. Through this type of vocalization,
chords or harmonies are built. Their biggest commercial hits came in the late 1950s and they enjoyed immense success through the mid-1960s. In
1973, the brothers would break up and at that point, they were no longer topping the charts in either North America or Europe. Drug addiction on
the part of both brothers and Don's nervous breakdown were among factors leading to increasing acrimony between them. The final straw came
during a concert at Knott’s Berry Farm in California--their last scheduled show together. Apparently, Don had gotten so drunk before the show
that it had to be stopped midway through. Phil stormed off in anger and Don finished the concert by himself. Here are some of their most
significant songs from the late 1950s: Bye Bye Love (1957) ,All I Have to Do is Dream (1958) and Cathy's Clown  (1959) from a 1961
performance on The Lawrence Welk Show

Fats Domino: (1928-2017) Fats Domino was born Antoine Dominique Domino and was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a French
Creole and grew up in both a musical city and also in a musical family. Domino's father was a violinist and his uncle was a jazz guitarist. Domino
would first start learning the piano as a child and it would become his primary instrument. His nickname "Fats" was simply because of his size
and one of his first commercial hits, The Fat Man, is a reference to him being overweight. Beginning in the late 1940s, Domino had numerous
hits throughout the 1950s and is considered one of the pioneers of early rock & roll. Below are the recordings to some of his most important
works: The Fat Man  (1949), Ain’t That a Shame (1955), Blueberry Hill (1956), I’m  Walkin' (1957)The recordings above all exemplify Domino's
style. His music is very catchy and most certainly "radio friendly". The songs often use short, repeated melodies down in the bass
(ostinato patterns) which help to draw the listener in and his songs typically use a structure of alternating verses and choruses. The usual layout
is verse 1, verse 2, chorus, verse 1 or AABA. This structure is so common today, it's referred to as pop song form. In the 1980s, Domino would
stop touring to perform. He disliked travel and would jokingly say that he could never find any good Cajun food outside of his hometown. In
2005, Domino was rumored to have died when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. Domino’s home was flooded, but he and his family were
rescued by the Coast Guard and taken in by football player JaMarcus Russell (who was dating Domino's granddaughter at the time) for a couple
of weeks.

Chuck Berry: (1926-2017)Arguably, the most important early rock & roll electric guitarist is Chuck Berry. Berry was born into a middle class
family in St. Louis, Missouri. He showed an early interest in music and gave his first public performance while still just in high school. Even in
these early years, he was beginning to have some success with his music, but he was also getting in trouble with law enforcement.  Berry was
convicted of armed robbery while still just in high school and would go on to serve a prison sentence from 1944 to 1947. Once released from
prison, he settled into married life and found various jobs. Durning this period, he worked as a janitor and in a car parts assembly factory. He was
doing all of this while also studying to become a beautician. By the early 1950s, Berry begins working with local bands in the clubs of St. Louis
as an extra source of income. In 1955, he would travel to Chicago and while there, Berry would meet the Chicago blues musician Muddy
Waters.It's during this period that Berry begins recording a string of hits. The songs would typically be written by Berry himself and be based on
distorted electric guitar riffs. The lyrics of Berry's songs were also usually light-hearted and the kinds of things that would appeal to teenagers in
the 1950s. Maybellene (1955), Roll Over Beethoven (1956), Rock & Roll Music  (1957), School Day  (1957), Johnny B. Goode (1958) By the
early 1960s, Berry is enjoying a great amount of commercial success, but in 1962 he gets in trouble with the law for a second time. Berry was
sentenced to three years in prison for offenses under the Mann Act. This law was in place to stop human trafficking. Specifically sex trafficking
of people underage. The law stated that only the legal guardian of a minor could take them across state lines. Berry got in trouble because he had
transported a 14-year-old girl across state lines for “immoral purposes”. According to Berry, he was on tour and a girl at one of the shows was
hanging out with the band. She told Berry that she was looking for work. Berry owned a night club and told her that she could come with the
band and when they got to the club, he could give her a job as a hostess.  According to Berry, the girl said she was 18 and he didn't know she was
so young. The girl would also later claim that she and Berry had sex, an allegation that Berry would deny. Nevertheless, Berry had certainly taken
this girl across multiple states and had violated the Mann Act. He would go to jail for a second time. Once out of prison, Berry would tour
regularly throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He realized that he could make a lot more money if he didn't tour with a band, but hire local musicians
instead. He would hire unrehearsed local backup bands and got the reputation for giving very bad performances during this time. He also always
demand that he get paid in cash. There are stories of Berry traveling around the country with suitcases filled with money during the 1970s and
80s. He would later go to jail for a third time for tax evasion. Along with his guitar playing and music, Berry was a great entertainer on the stage.
He borrowed a lot of his showmanship from the blues musician T-Bone Walker and Berry's performing style had big impact on future rock
musicians and musical entertainers. Below are a couple of videos of performances by T-Bone Walker and Chuck Berry. You can see the
similarities between the two and how Walker was an obvious influence on Berry. T-Bone Walker performing Goin’ to Chicago (1966),,Chuck
Berry performing Roll Over Beethoven  on a French television show (1958)

Little Richard: (1932)Born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia; Little Richard had a monumentally important impact of the history of
popular music. He came from a big family and was one of twelve children. Richard grew up in the church and was heavily influenced by gospel
music. Even as a child, he would perform music with his family at various churches. The family had their own gospel-singing performing group
called The Penniman Singers and the performances with that group were some of Richard's first experiences on the stage. Once he got into
popular music, Richard started performing blues-based and gospel influenced early rock music. His biggest hits would come in the last half of the
1950s and the songs would become staples of early rock & roll, eventually being covered by many different artists. Tutti-Frutti (1955), Long,
Tall Sally (1956), Good Golly, Miss Molly (1958) It's worth noting that the lyrics of these songs are quite sexual (especially for the 1950s) and
one of the reasons Richard was extremely controversial (even more so than Elvis Presley) in his early career. Shockingly, in 1957 at the height of
his popularity, Little Richard decided to step away from performing rock music and would begin attending bible college. Historians have
speculated the reasons for this, but by all accounts Richard had lived the decadent lifestyle associated with rock music and wanted to move his
life in a new direction. He would eventually become a preacher and for the rest of his performing career, he would go back and forth between
gospel music and rock & roll. Regardless of the style, Richard was always influenced by gospel music and there was often a religious atmosphere
in his performances. The video below is a good example of this and is a performance of the Elvis Presley hit Hound Dog. This specific
performance was filmed in Europe c.1956.