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The importance of bass-player Fred Maddox on Bill Black's playing style He and Reggie Young would play on Elvis' classic Memphis '69 sessions, which would play such a major part in his late 60's comeback, producing the outstanding album From Elvis In Memphis. manila clam digging washington state; san bernardino county ansa; latest family court judgements. Elvis offered then another 50 dollars and, for a short time, the rift was healed. He's just an all-American boy, and all the American girls like him. [17], In 1955, Black went to RCA Victor along with Presley and Moore when Presley's contract was sold to that company. Actor Blake Gibbons portrayed Black in the short-lived 1990 TV series Elvis, starring Michael St. Gerard. After various attempts at songs, the group 'stumbled upon' the sound which gave them 'That's All Right (Mama)', on Tuesday, 6th July 1954. Fontana, Scotty Moore, Bill Black and Elvis Presley - Las Vegas 1956. EIN Website content Copyright the Elvis Information Network. Colonel Tom also told Bill to cut back on the clowning around on stage. The number of photographs and relevant memorabilia in the book is extremely impressive and the design very stylish- with each chapter introduced by an old-fashioned silver gelatin styled image. Get yourself a wir fahrn 22,000 ($25,000) cover artwork from Traffics 1973 album Waxed in Germany. Black and Moore said they got $100 a week when they are not on the road, and $200 a week when they are on tour. Elvis sense of rhythm was uncanny. centennial high school guidance counselor. was strong enough to last through the money problems and the influence of the Colonel. Bill and Scotty were heavily involved in constructing a song. He was going to put us in jail. Interestingly, today Bills double bass is owned by Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney, who played the instrument on his latest solo album McCartney III. William Patton Black Jr. was born on September 17, 1926, in Memphis, Tennessee, to a motorman for the Memphis Street Railway Co. Known as 'The Untouchable Sound', chart success saw them receive Billboard's 'Most Played Instrumental Group' award no less than three times in those years. But for a white artist at that time it was easier . Posted by: Category: Uncategorized . One of the real joys I found about the book was seeing all the later photographs of Blackie playing with his combo or standing with friends and seeing that cheeky smile on his face. Memphis Mansions Henrik Knudsen fortuitously befriended Bill Black's family and was entrusted with the familys treasured scrapbook. Combo winning Billboard instrumental award three times.3. Haven't heard a word from you on the money situation you were going to look into after we left. Another comment from Scotty Moore tells how well Bill got on with everyone; 'He never met a stranger'. The beginning of the session was not unlike the previous one. There are conflicting opinions on Bill's ability as a bass player. Directly across the street from American Sound, Bill at one time ran Lynn-Lou, a small recording studio. app state football camps 2022; crocodilian species by size; music yahoo google He's living just as clean and religious a life as any entertainer. "I never resented that he had all the glory" Bill says, "But it's better this way". . .. Of one thing Bill is certain - he won't leave the road again except to rest and visit friends from time to time. We have rehearsals, but we never rehearse, if you know what I mean'. String of hit singles and popular LP releases. In 1954 it fast became a battered-looking object, resembling, according to author Peter Guralnick, something', held together with baling wire'. how did claudia gordon became deaf; why did bill black leave elvis. From August 18 through December 8, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was consistently higher on the charts, and then both sides began to chart across the South. For daily Elvis discussions click here to EIN's Facebook group. As a joke, Elvis picked it up and volunteered to do it and that's what made it on the record - Elvis playing the bass part. This caused a lot of bitterness at the time, including threats to quit. Fontana and his astounding double-bass that anchors Heartbreak Hotel. Fontana, how he and Scotty got on with Bill, during a trip to Scotland in October 1993, since it was well known that Elvis didn't get on with him, D.J. He ran it under a truck while playing a date in Arkansas. He and Scotty left again in 1958. 'From Memphis, Tennessee, one of the best bassmen in the business'. Express. 03 Jun. replied that that wasn't so', No. He was winding them up for us'. He called a halt to such things. He's big-hearted, naturally high-strung, not hot-tempered. Author Robert Gordon put it well when he said that', Bill Black was an extremely affable, warm-hearted, and humorous guy who loved and appreciated the craziness in rock and roll'. This is a truly impressive new publication that anyone interested in Elvis' early years and rock 'n' roll history needs to have in their library. Your daddy would come down through there and get everybody to laughing and loosen them up. It was the beginning. While Elvis would claim in 1956 that he'd never met Scotty or Bill before Sun Records, he was friendly with Johnny Black, so must have at least been aware of older brother Bill. 17 U.S. pop hit, and made number one on the "black" music charts. 1. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. 1. With all that was building and happening behind the scenes, it's really no surprise that Scotty and Bill did eventually leave Elvis, around the middle of September '57. There was also a string of successful albums, like 'Moving With Bill Black's Combo'. He would grow up to be a well-built man, standing around the six-foot mark. This was while talking with Mae B. Axton', I really am lucky to have those two boys', cause they really are good. Instead, Elvis would pay his respects by visiting Bills family privately after the funeral. Johnny Black can be seen in Alan Freed's rock exploitation movie', Rock, Rock, Rock', made in Hollywood during 1957. Elvis Presley, Bill Black, Scotty Moore and Sam Phillips - Sun Records 1954. Starting back in 2017 author Paul Belard has published multiple books looking back at Elvis' legacy often examining a specific time period, but never an in depth biography. The Starlight Wranglers were a Sam Phillips group. Another characteristic of the Combo was Reggie Young thwacking on the guitar with a pencil. Legend has it that Bill just couldn't get the bass line right on the smaller instrument, and the bass track was everything to the number. After Bill's death, there were a few more minor hits for the Combo, and they continued to tour and be a popular draw. Nine years older than Elvis, Bill did appear to be further down life's highway, with his He also looked a little 'chubby'. Along with two other guitarists and a fiddler, they performed country music tunes by Hank Williams and Red Foley in Doug Poindexter's band, the Starlight Wranglers. As well as the 'Hayride', which they would perform on at least fifty times, well into 1956, there were countless one-night stands which also made them tight as a unit and helped establish them. D.J. Part Two The Bill Black Combo, plus his recording studio and publishing. Elvis certainly capitalized on this through his choice of material and performance stylehis sexualized scandalousness was linked in large part to the fact that he was imitating, or referencing,. They'd heard the records, but they had not seen him. It would be very fitting if the trio ofRonnie Wood,Nicky Hopkins, and Ian McLagan all contributed a single cut to the collection. [3] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. I love his quote, There was no way of knowing success was coming to Presley. On April 4, 2009, Bill Black was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is in the strictest confidence. [7] Neither musician was overly impressed with Presley, but they agreed a studio session would be useful to explore his potential. The Colonel also had a habit of complaining to the other musicians about one thing or another, which had or hadn't been done for his 'boy'. The following year of 1965, Bill Black was in hospital three times, at Baptist Memorial in Memphis, between June and October. [1] The new film will focus on the relationship between the star and his manager during his career from the 1950s through to the 1970s. Regarding That's All Right Belard neatly explains, "Listening to "That's All Right" with the speakers turned up, one can revel in the gloriously rich colors this trio creates. In May of 1955, Elvis gave both Scotty and Bill due credit. During 1955, for a short time, the boys went under the united name of the 'Blue Moon Boys'. With all the touring, it almost seemed that the large bass had a permanent bunk on the roof of the car back then. Confident and clear as bells, Elvis' playing is soon invigorated by Bill's bass. The Bill Black Combo also cut an instrumental version of Elvis' 1956 classic, on which Bill had played bass', Don't Be Cruel (To A Heart That's True)'. Selected back issues of old on-line newsletter. Filming took place in Queensland, Australia and the first stills and trailer are still yet to be unveiled by the studio. This includes 45 pages about the second part of his career plus 70 pages of tributes, a look at his legacy, lots of rare photographs plus his vinyl releases. 'The Wedding' Elvis & Priscilla EIN special Spotlight: 'Elvis In Ottawa' Spotlight & Elvis Interview: "Kissed By Elvis" Janet Fulton Interview: 'Elvis: '72 Summer Festival' Book Review: MRS presents 'ELVIS: September 1970' in-depth Review: Book Review 'Christmas with Elvis: The Official Guide': (Book Review) Elvis The Army Years Uncovered (Trina Young): 'Elvis: Fort Worth, Texas 1974' FTD in-depth Review: 'ELVIS: Las Vegas Hilton 73' FTD Review: Elvis - The First Engagements 1969-70 In-Depth Review: Book Review: 'Elvis The King of the Rings Vol 1': 'Summer Festival 1970: The Rehearsals' In-Depth Review: 'The Something For Everybody Sessions' Deluxe FTD Review: 'Elvis: St Paul To Wichita: Oct 1974' FTD In-Depth Review: 'Holiday Season In Vegas: 1975' FTD In-Depth Review: 'Elvis Presley: The Searcher' DVD Review: Book Review - 'Elvis The Gospel Singer' (Paul Belard): (Book Review) The Comeback - Elvis and the Story of the 68 Special (Simon Goddard): (Book Review) Elvis Black and White to Technicolor. Black's main stand-up bass is today owned by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, who received the instrument as a birthday present from his wife Linda in the late 1970s. Bobby Vee and The Shadows had out a cover of the latter in March 1960. Country radio stations said Elvis sounded too Black to play, and the stations that played rhythm and blues said he sounded too much like a hillbilly. They didn't like the Hollywood scene when they got there. The line-up included: Bill Black - bass.Carl McVoy - piano.Reggie 'Reg' - Young - guitar.Martin Wills - saxophone.Jerry Arnold - drums. 2. By late 1955, the three had added drummer D.J. Knowing that you are a man of your word and faithfully devoted to us your complete silence has me worried. His son Louis would frequently visit Graceland. Bill believed, and rightly so, that he and Scotty were important and should have no problem talking with Elvis, more so than all the females and hangers-on who contributed little or nothing to the act. It was becoming harder and harder to see Elvis, with the growing 'mafia' that now surrounded him. Bill Black's Combo cut more than 20 albums, toured the United States and Europe and won awards as the best instrumental group in America in 1966 and 1967. Combo winning Billboard instrumental award three times. He's playing bass with the Johnny Burnette Rock 'N' Roll Trio, where he replaced Dorsey. Fontana was Elvis drummer from 1957 to 1968 and was a key member of the Memphis Mafia. Other notable Elvis drummers include Ronnie Tutt, who played on many of Elvis most famous recordings, and Karl Perazzo, who currently plays with the Elvis tribute band Elvis Lives. Scotty confirmed that, If it hadnt been for Bill, we would have bombed many times in the early days.. The Fascinating Tale Of John Lennons Duel Citizenship. The commentary on Bill Black's importance and style of his bass playing even made me go back to re-visit some Elvis fifties classics once again, helping me discover something new. Scotty recalled that Bill saved the session: Bill is the one who came up with Blue Moon of Kentucky. But a few of them started playing them all. [8], On July 5, 1954, the trio met at Sun studios to rehearse and record a handful of songs. 3. Combo picked to be one of four American acts supporting Beatles' first U.S. tour. I suspect the reason why he hadn't adopted it is because he was known for his on-stage . Interview with Dick Grob, Elvis' Head Of Security: Hollywood veteran Michael Hoey talks to EIN: Interview with 'Elvis Films FAQ' author Paul Simpson: "My Fast Life" Rare Elvis Presley 1964 Interview: Allyson Adams 'The Rebel and The King' Interview: Elvis Paradise Hawaiian Interview - with Peter Noone, Sam Thompson, Elvis' bodyguard, 2011 Interview. Scotty Moore. The reason being that the acoustic instrument was big enough to house the family hound dog! There were two reasons for exhuming Elvis' body and relocate it to the Meditation Garden at Graceland. Recording for their new company of RCA went well though, despite all of this background 'noise', and Bill contributed a simple but very effective 'plodding' bass line to 'Heartbreak Hotel', the song which would introduce Elvis Presley to the world stage, and young musicians in so many other countries. I think Linda thought, God, talk about a birthday present! She organised it all and gave it to me. Bob Tucker worked for the University of Memphis as Professor of Music Business while leading the combo. Having gone on to form the Bill Black Combo, the bassist became ill in the early 1960s. [9] During the break, Presley began "acting the fool" with Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right (Mama)," a blues song. First RCA sessions and such tracks as 'Heartbreak Hotel', Don't Be Cruel', My Baby Left Me', Hound Dog'.5. New link to Dua Lipa. In the twenty-first century, GnR remains a nostalgic act. That was necessary for us because we played for a lot of country crowds that weren't used to people jumping up and down on stage."[20]. 'Bill's children acknowledged Elvis was always kind to them. The Bill Black Combo undertook regular American and European tours. He passed away on the commode at Graceland. 'Blackie' with Joe Coughi, owner of Poplar Tunes record store and 'Hi Records' studio. Another reason is that they felt Presley was not giving them enough credit for their contributions to his music. [6] Black slap played the double bass with Moore on lead guitar, while Presley played rhythm guitar and sang lead. It's all too easy to forget the importance of Bill Black in the early Elvis sound, such as the essential back-beat he supplied before the arrival of D.J. We're taking a little break and he starts beating on the bass and singing "Blue Moon of Kentucky," mocking Bill Monroe, singing the high falsetto voice. appeared in the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas. why did paul richardson leave gold rush: white water; purdue hockey arena; crater festival 1975 lineup; njac all academic team; tier 1 reading programs; advantages and disadvantages of expected utility theory; activar puerto hdmi placa base gigabyte. by Charlie Kerlinger | Nov 27, 2022 | Famous Musicians. and Jerry 'Satch' Arnold on drums. They're sitting there like', What is he?' This features a fine section on all the key players, the protagonists being Bill Black, Scotty Moore, Sam Phillips, DJ Fontana, Elvis Presley - plus The Starlight Wranglers - all of whom are neatly encapsulated. He was an important part of the Elvis Presley band, and he helped to create the unique sound that was associated with Elvis Presleys music. Elvis Presley. We extend our deepest sympathies to his friends and family at this difficult time, and we hope that his music will live on through his legacy. At the start of the 'Hayride' contract, Elvis got 18 dollars and Scotty and Bill 12 each. Bill Black. Some of his vocal horsing around can be heard at the start of a 'Hayride' version of 'That's All Right', which is widely available these days. Austin Butler spoke about having a health scare after he wrapped filming Elvis as he walked the red carpet at Sunday's 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2007, Black was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. 16/06/2022 . Costume designer Bill Belew conceived the iconic ensemble -- as well as a gold lame jacket and a white two-piece suit that Elvis wore in the special -- and went on to create the flamboyant . In the album credits, Bruce Thomas mentions his electric Wal bass guitar as part of Declan McManus Punch The Clock. The unique sound that emerged from their early sessions was the result of a close collaboration of like-minded musicians and an engineer who wanted to generate something as yet unheard. To a great extent, they were the creators of the Sun Elvis sound. It's a mind-boggling feat of simple minimalism which doesn't run counter to the creation of a pivotal work. Fontana) because of two things, Elvis promised better pay for the band but didn't uphold his promise as he was not confident enough to go against Dutch immigrant ( real name: Andreas Cornelia van Kuijk) later known as Colonel Tom Parker. Posted on . Always seeming to be in need of a good meal. According to Evelyn Black, in those early days, both Bill and Scotty done much to teach the nervous young singer his stage-craft, the way he would stand at the mike, and also some of the ways to move. Ben Vaughn grew up in the Philadelphia area on the New Jersey side of the river. Its a remake of Bob Dylans folk tune Too Late, performed in reggae style. In 2005, Clay Steakley portrayed Black in the 2005 CBS miniseries Elvis, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He gets so worked up during 'Blue Suede Shoes' that, at one point, he looks like he's just about to ride his instrument off into the sunset! The 79-year-olds late wife Linda McCartney bought him the bass as a present during the 1970s. Scotty commented, in Scotland during October '93, that', If it hadn't been for Bill, we would have bombed so many times in the early days. Again this was over money. Early life and career [ edit] This was mainly due to the others in the group being wiry and angular. "I don't think anyone should criticize him until they try to put themselves in his shoes and figure out what they would do. Black, Moore and the drummer D. J. Fontana toured extensively during Presley's early career. He started playing his guitar and sang along with him". They were introduced by Frank Page and performed both sides of that first release (SUN 209). Mae would later receive co-writer credit, with Tommy Durden and Elvis, for 'Heartbreak Hotel'. These three, later four, men, stood together while the world at large often condemned their every move and all they stood for. While I knew of the success of the 45rpm single 'Smokie, Part 2' - an R&B number 1 and Billboard #17 - it is a surprise to learn just how successful his Bill Black Combo instrumental Albums were at the time and interesting to see other future players from Elvis' legacy featuring in The Bill Black Combo such as Reggie Young, Bobby Emmons and Chips Moman. Bill was the friendliest guy in the world'. Black's body was buried, next to his father, William Patton Black Sr., at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. What's the lowdown? Bill was trying to come to grips with his first Fender electric bass. Elvis then picked it up and played the part himself. The attention inspired Marshall Crenshaw to record Bens Im Sorry (But So Is Brenda Lee) for his Downtown album. "That is something that you saw in his SAP for this particular D.C. crime bill, and if Congress sends him a bill making D.C. a state, he'll always, always be sure to sign it, because he's been talking about that for the last two decades, but vetoing the bill heading to his desk now won't make D.C. a state, and so those are the things . Nonetheless, he insisted that the band continue without him. Part One The Elvis Years - is 140 pages. It includes.. "Elvis is fun to have around, always got some jazz going, likes to keep up chatter and joking,' says Bill. "It makes me feel good when I make people happy, listening and dancing to my music". He was tagged the 'Atomic Powered Singer', and backed by his group and the Freddy Martin Orchestra (he worked with such other big names as Judy Garland). [16] Their recordings at Sun were released with the credits as "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill." 4. Smokie Pt.2 - #17 - 1959.White Silver Sands - #9 - 1960.Josephine - #18-1960. Scotty left the band, The Blue Moon Boys (Elvis, Scotty, Bill Black and drummer D.J. D.J. According to Louis Black, Elvis said, here to Memphis Mansion website to purchase. Bill had left home before the Presley's moved into the building. Elvis has left the building. Bill was with him. The miserable life Elvis leads Bill Blacks interview from 1962. Apart from Bill, there were younger brothers Johnny', Jack' (who would also become a musician), and Kenny, and sister Mary-Ann. "[13], Phillips took several acetates of the session to DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation) of Memphis radio station WHBQ's Red, Hot and Blue show. As much as the King binge-ate, he felt guilty and upset about packing on the pounds he so famously added to his sparkly jumpsuit-covered frame in the 1970s. At one point the Colonel is claimed to have wanted to drop Scotty and Bill, and bring in Hank Snow's backing group for Elvis. -Copyright EIN January 2022 [citation needed]. Elvis Presley's songs are unforgettable - they have stood the test of time, especially his singles of the 1950s, a decade in which he had a song at No. Shepard, Billy Swan and others. His day job at the time was cleaning and blocking hats at his brothers' dry cleaning firm. 'Elvis: Ohama, Nebraska '74' FTD in-depth Review: Elvis / Orchestra Copenhagen 2018 Concert Review: 'The Complete 50s Movie Masters And Session Recordings' In-Depth Review: Bicycle Rider: Thoughts on The Searcher: (Book Review) Counting Down Elvis His 100 Finest Songs (Mark Duffett). Bill will be played by Adam Dunn in next years Elvis biopic from director Baz Luhrmann. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. Hollywood's new leading man, 31, told . 2. Yet when the session was over, they were told to pack up and leave. Bill replied, in his typical blunt style', Well, he didn't impress me too damned much!' Finally, they were both interested in pursuing other musical projects. Written by Reggie Young and Bobby Emmons. Both it and American are now long gone. When it was asked of D.J. Elvis Presley lived most of his life and career in the limelight. While Young was in the army, his position was filled by Hank Hankins, Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill. Until Now! Tillman Franks, bassist and Johnny Hortons manager, praised Bill in making Elvis a success: Bill Black, the way he hit his bass fiddle, he sounded like a band all by himself. [22] "Smokie, Part 2" became a No. One reason is that they were not being paid enough. Quite often it was his joking around that took some of the heat off of Elvis, making the crowd laugh at Black's comedy routines, and stopping them running the Mississippi Tupelo Flash out of town on a rail! The Combo's sound of danceable blues became a popular accompaniment for striptease dancers. Black later formed Bill Black's Combo. The show was carried by 190 CBS stations across the south, between 8pm.- 11pm., and there's no way to measure the huge boost this gave the boys and their style of music. But Bill would never play with him again. If Axl handled his ego with the same passion and intelligence that his solo acts performed, they would have had the careers of the Stones and Slash, Duff, Gilby, and Izzy. [4] Black and Moore also played in a band with Paul Burlison, Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette on steel guitar, and a drummer. The private letter from Bill Black to Tom Diskin says it all, Dear Tom, "[3], In 1952, Black began playing in clubs and on radio shows with the guitarist Scotty Moore. Johnny Black too worked at Firestone. This was during the early 1960s. Bill Black's connection with the very influential Hi Records Studios (Al Green etc) On Thursday, 21st October, he died during an operation to try and remove part or all of the growth. The line-up for the reformed group included Reggie and Scotty on electric guitars, Michael Leech on bass, Bobby Wood on piano, Ace Cannon on saxophone, Bobby Emmons on organ, D.J. EIN Website content Copyright the Elvis Information Network. Gary Tallent and Max Weinberg of the E Street Band Induct Bill Black Black's onstage personality was a sharp contrast to the introverted stage presence of Moore. Fun and games still continued away from the spotlight. As was common at the time Bill was growing up, people entertained themselves by playing an instrument. They deduced (correctly) the Colonel was working against them. Could mere money destroy what was forged during those amazing years of 1954-1958? The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. Tragically, Bill died of a brain tumour on October 21, 1965 aged just 39 during his third operation to eradicate the growth. Bill and Scotty were heavily involved in constructing a song. Go here to Memphis Mansion website to purchase. Following Elvis' early, solo, visits to the Memphis Recording Service, to cut two personal acetates, Sam had Scotty arrange for the young singer to come over to his home for a try-out session. This done them nothing but good and they went on to become one of the most popular instrumental groups in the States during that final year of the '50s and the early '60s. Black himself was not well enough to make the tour. While the Wranglers went through various changes, the best-known members would seem to be these: Millard Yow (Firestone) - fiddle.Tommy Seals - steel guitar.Scotty Moore - guitar.Bill Black (Firestone) - bass.Doug Poindexter (banker) - vocals.Clyde Rush (Firestone) - guitarNote: In some places the spelling of names is different. [3] At the age of sixteen, Black was performing "honky-tonk" music on acoustic guitar in local bars. The Warner Bros movie stars Austin Butler as The King and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker. [3][28] Presley was criticized for not attending the funeral, but he believed that his presence would turn it into a media frenzy. EIN Spotlight: The Memphis Sessions - 50 Years ago Today: 'Elvis: The Searcher - Additional Stories' Spotlight: 'Orgies and Orgasms: Presley in the Press 1956'- an in-depth, Elvis at Madison Square Garden 40 Years Ago. I've never seen him blow his top more than once or twice, and that was when he was just worn out.". For someone who played such a large part in the early years of the Elvis legend, helping provide the music and establishing the hillbilly cat, it's more than a little surprising how few and spread about are the details of Bill Black. According to Louis Black, Elvis said, "If there's, anything that y'all need, you just let me know and it's yours.. Dirty Sticky Floors, Devils Roof, Geppetto, Wild and Free, Shallow Crystals, Justice of the Peace, and Golden Opportunity are all included. wasn't at the funeral either. Elvis would chat with him, tell him about his father, Bill. The former David Jones first live set was recorded in the summer of 1974 and features a fascinating, futuristic, and funky blend of glam, soul, theater, and daring design. On Saturday, 16th October 1954, Elvis, Scotty and Bill appeared on the 'Lucky Strike Guest Time' segment for new artists on the very popular 'Louisiana Hayride' show on KWKH out of Shreveport. These would include Liverpool teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney. He was a member of Elvis band, the Blue Moon Boys, from 1954 to 1958. William Patton Black Jr. (September 17, 1926 - October 21, 1965) [1] was an American musician and bandleader who is noted as one of the pioneers of rock and roll.