<back - CARL PERKINS - Carl Lee Perkins was born near Tiptonville, Tennessee in 1932. At age 7, he began playing a guitar that his father had made from a cigar box, broomstick and baling wire. He listened to Country music, Gospel, and Blues, and began to write some of his own songs .Carl at age 15 formed a group with brothers Jay and Clayton called The Perkins Brothers which began to perform at a local honky tonk known as the El Rancho Club in 1947 and 1948. WB Holland joined the group as a drummer. They appeared on WDXT radio in his hometown of Jackson, Tennessee from 1950 to 1952. Carl Perkins signed with Sun Records in 1954, releasing 'Movie Magg'.

He recorded 'Blue Suede Shoes' at Sun Records in December, 1955, and became a nationwide hit. That song put 23-year old Carl Perkins in the national spotlight. Appearances were arranged on the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como tv shows, but while traveling to New York for those engagements he was involved in a terrible automobile accident that hospitalized him. Another up-and-coming Sun Records artist, Elvis Presley, covered 'Blue Suede Shoes', which became Elvis Presley's third top 40 hit.  An excellent guitar player, Carl continued doing music in his own style, which was pure Rockabilly. The flip side of 'Blue Suede Shoes' was 'Honey Don't', which had originally been intended as the A-side. 'Honey Don't' was discovered by The Beatles who covered it along with 'Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby' and 'Matchbox'. Latter day pop artists who would acknowledge the influence of Carl Perkins include Kentucky Headhunters, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, The Farrell Bros. and Paul McCartney, who has said "If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles". Following the death of his brother Jay in 1958, Carl signed a deal with Columbia. He had some more minor hits with records such as 'Pink Pedal Pushers' and 'Pointed Toe Shoes', but he eventually went back to Country music. He signed with the Dollie label in 1963 and joined his friend Johnny Cash's road show in 1965. He stayed with Johnny Cash for 10 years. Carl continued recording Country songs into the 70's.He worked with a 5-man band that included his sons Stan and Gregg, and also collaborated with other artists over the years, including his work on the album The Million Dollar Quartet with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis and The Trio Plus with Jerry Lee, Charley Pride, and The Judds.  Carl Perkins appeared in the 1985 film Into The Night and won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1986 for 'Blue Suede Shoes'. In later years, Carl suffered a series of strokes. Though he had been ill, on January 19, 1998 he had passed in Jackson, Tennessee. Carl Perkins took his place in the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. MP3- Blue Suede Shoes |