<back - BILLY LEE RILEY - Of the lesser-known Sun recording artists, Billy Lee Riley should have achieved fame comparable to such conquering heroes as Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins. Many rightfully believe Riley should have inherited Elvis Presley's throne when 'the King' got his draft papers. Instead, the Arkansas-born (1933) Riley received scant publicity, barely mustering the odd regional hit. Time, however, has accorded Billy Lee Riley's Sun Record years with the luster they always deserved. He was a highly proficient guitarist, blew convincing Blues harmonica, and possessed the vocal chops to handle material, from Rockabilly, Blues, to Country.

As a performer, he could light up a stage like few others, augmented by the Little Green Men--essentially the Sun Records studio band. This included guitarist Roland Janes, drummer James Van Eaton, bassist Bill Wallace. His first Sun release was 1956's Trouble Bound b/w Rock With Me Baby. Trouble Bound had a similar moody ambience to Heartbreak Hotel, while Rock With Me Baby is a be-bopping rocker in tune with teenage domination fantasies. Its follow-up Flying Saucer Rock 'n Roll is one of the truly defining moments in Sun Records history. This was followed by another ground mover in 1957's Red Hot, and it incorporated a feel every Rockabilly player would've died for. 'Red Hot' also contained thundering piano from Jimmy Wilson. The flip side, Pearly Mae, was equally intense and up-tempo. Everything cried out 'hit record', but as abruptly as label owner Sam Phillips advised his distributors he could only to push one artist--namely Jerry Lee Lewis. Whole Lotta Shakin Goin' On would become a million-seller, while 'Red Hot' fizzled. A piqued Riley did a one-off with the Brunswick label, before returning to Sun Records and recording 3 more releases prior to leaving the label in 1960. His next attempt at glory was Wouldn't You Know, a prescient title because 'Sam the Man' decided to focus on Jerry Lee's 'Breathless'. The last Sun Records release (June 1959) was One More Time which showcased Riley's Blues roots, backed with Got The Water Boilin' Baby.  After leaving Sun in 1960, Riley formed the RITA label which released 'Mountain of Love', a million-seller for Harold Dorman. The next several years Billy concentrated on studio work, mainly playing harmonica with LA's top studio musicians like Leon Russell, Hal Blaine, Glen Campbell, and James Burton. It wasn't until the 70's Rockabilly revival that Riley's career enjoyed a second wind. Thousands of Rockabilly acts would sprout up in Europe, and Riley got the royal treatment as a 'Founding Father of Rockabilly'. In recent years, Riley released highly acclaimed Blue Collar Blues and 1997's Hot Damn. -Gary Tate /  MP3 - Red Hot | Baby Please Don't Go | Flyin' Saucer |