From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Sat Jul 6, 2002 2:10 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Bill Haley BILL HALEY (By Shaun Mather) Born William John Clinton Haley, Jr., 6 July 1925, Highland Park, Michigan Died 9 February 1981, Harlingen, Texas Bill Haley & His Comets had arguably the most importantant hit in rock music when Rock Around The Clock (recorded in April 1954) hit the charts in 1955 and spent eight weeks at # 1. Musically it was dynamic, from the jungle beat to Danny Cedrone's guitar solo, but its cultural impact was even greater. Haley's career began in country/western bands, the highlight being the Saddlemen, and by the early 50's he was incorporating r&b sounds into his music. The band became the Comets and he started recording for the Essex label. As well as adapting black numbers, he began to write some of his own material, with one of his compositions, Crazy, Man, Crazy, becoming one of the first Top 20 rock & roll hits in 1953. In 1954, he moved to the major Decca label, and following the success of Rock Around The Clock he became a regular on the hit parades around the world. Massive hits included Shake, Rattle, and Roll, Dim, Dim the Lights, Mambo Rock, Birth of the Boogie, Burn That Candle, See You Later Alligator, Saints Rock 'n' Roll, Don't Knock the Rock and one of my favourites, Skinny Minnie. He was particularly popular in the UK and his first tour has gone down in folklore. His later days on earth were sad ones due to alcohol problems, although Rock Around the Clock got back into the Top 40 in 1974. His name has been kept alive with his nomination into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland. Official homepage: http://www.billhaley.com Overview of websites: http://www.billhaley-central.com/ Recommended listening: The Decca Years And More (Bear Family 15506, 5 CD-box set). Rock The Joint! : The Original Essex Recordings 1951-1954 (Roller Coaster RCCD 3001). Biography: John Swenson, Bill Haley : The Daddy Of Rock And Roll. London : W.H. Allen, 1982 ; New York : Stein and Day, 1983.