How did you get into rockabilly?

Back in the early -80s Stray cats play two songs in a swedish tv-show, I start listen at Elvis and stuff like that, then i had a heavy metal period In early -90s I start hangin with a friend that play in a rockabilly band and i was back on track again!
Today I´m listen to alot of different music but the cats is still in my heart.

Short story bob a billy

I was too young when the Stray Cats first came out but in the 90's my parents were in a cover band and did Stray Cat Strut and I absolutely loved it. I also enjoyed Jump Jive an Wail when it came out but I was still in my "grunge" phase. So didn't officially start getting into rockabilly until BSO came out with First Xmas album and I started to dig in to where this rocking musician got his start. I also started listening to country, because everything else sucked that was on the radio, and got into Johnny Cash and Elvis. I listen to the all Elvis station on Sirius and carry Brian on my ipod. (they should have the all Brian Setzer channel.) Going to visit Graceland in August and then head to Nashville. Can't wait.

Anyway I listen to the rockabilly station on an online radio and love it. Wish I could get into the scene more and see some shows but with kids its kind of hard. Always make time for the BSO Xmas show though, thats a must.

I was little, and I won't tell the whole long tale but it finishes up with my parents exchanging knowing glances at each other - my Dad laughing in glee and my Mom going, "Uh oh."

100 posts!

My Dad was/is a jazz nut and Mum loves classical so had no influence there.They did have some Rock N Roll though and Charlie Gracie's Fabulous on 78 rpm and Bill Haley's Shake Rattle & Roll b/w The Paper Boy were played repeatedly.
I guess I always liked Showaddywaddy and Darts records,so the rockin' influence was ingrained somewhere and I used to borrow an Elvis tape from my sister.It was she who was pivotal really,in that she gave me a radio for my 14th birthday in January 1981....right in time to catch the release in February of Rock This Town.This record just jumped out and grabbed me.I guess in much the same way as Brian says Be Bop A Lula did for him.It was the first single I ever bought and that obviously snowballed with the likes of the Polecats,Shaky,Jets,Shakin' Pyramids etc.!1981 was simply a great year to get into Rockabilly music.The hair was quiffed,started dressing the part and the rest is history...dug back all the original stuff..then dug back again...for example have you heard Tiny Bradshaw's The Train Kept 'A Rollin'?Man,it's 1951!Only recently discovered that one.
27 years on,my love of this music just gets stronger.There's so much out there,it's great,but for me nothing will ever top Rock This Town.
Cheers
Steve

hey Patrick,
that song is by Johnny Horton. check out some of his other songs! they are awesome rockablly tunes!

bobbie aka navajogirl[/quote]


I love Johnny Horton -- everything I know/love about rockabilly came from my Mom (RIP)

I was a freshman in college, living in the dorms, and listening to all the typical 70s/80s crap du jour. A guy on my floor had a copy of Elvis "Sun Sessions", which I heard exactly one time and was absolutly floored. With in a month I dumped a girl that listend to Disco, deystroyed any Eagles, Cars, Springsteen etc. vinyl I ever owned, got a pompador, sideburns, creapers, motorcycle, Gibson Hollowbody, Fender amp, and a Rockabilly Band. 25 years later and nothing's changed.

I grew up playing piano and remebering wanting to play like Jerry Lee Lewis. Never quite acomplished that I dont really remeber how it evolved from there but I can remeber my early record collection containing Buddy Holly Bill Haley but not much Elvis believe it or not. When the Stray Cats hit the radio I can remeber thinking why doesnt every one like this stuff.
I guess Im a bit of a throwback to the late fifties, a time i always wanted to experience but was born too late. I was always facinated with that time.

ufopsi wrote:

how did you get into rockabilly?

I was born like this. Blood type RAB+. It wasn't always easy but you learn to live with it.

christopher wrote:

It wasn't always easy but you learn to live with it.

True words, those

It all started with watching Happy Days as a kid. Then became a tidal wave when I first saw Stray Cat Strut and Rock this Town on MTV.

Yes, I'm in my mid 40s.

El Perro wrote:

It all started with watching Happy Days as a kid. Then became a tidal wave when I first saw Stray Cat Strut and Rock this Town on MTV.

Yes, I'm in my mid 40s.

Me too - I was totally in love with Fonzie.

AWE I LOVED the Fonz.

Heeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

Who didn't watch Happy Days? Well glad they started releasing the dvd's!

At the age of 8 (1978) my parents gave me a record player along with a LP of Bill Haley. Now that record really turned my world upside down. Looking after some more stuff I discovered Shakin' Stevens & the Sunsets and I sold my soul to rock and roll. At least for a few years. I also bought my first stray cats record in the early eighties. When i was 14 punk became more interesting and cooler. So lost a little contact with the scene. Two years later, around 1985 dutch television broadcasted two songs of Frenzy 'Hall of Mirrors' and 'Skitzophrenic Emotions'. Psychobilly made rockabilly cool again so away the punk look, and welcome mighty quiffs. The first few years of psychobilly and neo-rockabilly were around the coolest of my life. Driving to gigs in the netherlands and abroad, drinking, festivals and finally in 1989 seeing the stray cats live for the first time. And this time rock and roll was here to stay. I'm still a collector, I still go to gigs and I already have the tickets for the Brussels and Amsterday-gig of the cats. That's my story ...

Chris

WELLLLL.....;O) Rockabilly has been in my blood since I was five or six... listening to tunes with Dad while he drank beers.. The one song that really impressed me at a young age was Eddie Cochrans 'Pink Pegged Slacks' In my opinion one of the greatest tunes ever!!! This tune inspired me to wear pink pegged slacks to school at the age of 10.. while most other kids were listening to Guns N Roses.... What a memory.. I wish I still had those slacks..

ROCKINLAGER wrote:

WELLLLL.....;O) Rockabilly has been in my blood since I was five or six... listening to tunes with Dad while he drank beers.. The one song that really impressed me at a young age was Eddie Cochrans 'Pink Pegged Slacks' In my opinion one of the greatest tunes ever!!! This tune inspired me to wear pink pegged slacks to school at the age of 10.. while most other kids were listening to Guns N Roses.... What a memory.. I wish I still had those slacks..

Somehow I doubt you'd still fit into them, doll!

my dad's perkins stuff plus mother's elvis then hank c burnette - spinning rock boogie etc, jungle rock in the uk charts in mid 70's plus robert gordon with link wray - was in a band at school in 1976 doing all the usual suspects -perkins elvis sun etc.

I always liked The Stray Cats when I was in high school ("Stray Cat Strut", "Rock This Town") and in 1987, saw Brian's portrayal of Eddie Cochran in the movie "La Bamba" and my interest in rockabilly grew even more from there. Love Gene Vincent, too!

I have one of the best Rockabilly blogs on the web!!! I even created a cd for a live performance of Brian Setzer's. He did a solo performance in Japan at a vintage guitar shop. You can go to my blog and download:

http://redondoroundup.blogspot.com/2007/12/brian-setzer-live-vintage-guitar-shop.html

Go now my greasey children and see what you've missed over the past year: 800 posts & 300,000 visitors!!

http://redondoroundup.blogspot.com/

Rock On!!

Regards,
Mredondo

Used to listen to my mums rockin' records.. Stuff like Elvis, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Johnny Burnette.. So, from around the age of 12 - 13 I started sorting my barnet out and by the age of 14 the quiff was perfected.
Caused a bit of a riot at school, but what the hell!