From: "Dik de Heer" Date: Fri Apr 26, 2002 1:15 am Subject: Born To Be With You : Duane Eddy DUANE EDDY (By Mike Richards) Born 26 April 1938, Corning, New York State Guitarist. Duane Eddy was born on 26 April 1938 and moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1951 as his father was relocated as manager of a Safeway Supermarket within a year they had moved on to Coolidge, Arizona. Duane's father bought him a guitar at the age of five and taught him the three chords he knew which sustained the boy until his early teen years. Duane met a guy named Ed Myers and the two struck up a friendship, which was based on their mutual love of music. Ed Myers regularly visited the local radio stations, as he wanted to become a DJ. At this time Ed met Lee Hazlewood who was a DJ at KCKY in Coolidge and suggested that Duane meet Lee, the two hit it off immediately and a legend was born. Earliest Recordings Duane attended Coolidge High School. This developed and the two performed at local dances in the Coolidge and Phoenix area playing local dances. When Duane was 16 he cut a tape of a Chet Atkins song "Spinning Wheel" which the radio station played for a while. Local lad Jimmy Delbridge (aka Jimmy Dell) called up the station to meet with Duane and the two enjoyed the thrill of performing together in their formative years. Jimmy Deldbridge (now a church minister) fondly remembers Duane as a pal with who he used to fool around and wrestle with, he says Duane was always popular with the girls and this made him even better to be around! The two performed as "Jimmy and Duane" and in time Lee Hazlewood recorded the two sides in what is best described as a country/hillbilly vocal coupling "Soda Fountain Girl"/"I Want Some Lovin' Baby". It was "released" to local radio stations by Lee Hazlewood on a label "EB-X Preston" which was in fact the name of an imaginary character on his radio programme. The single was pressed as a 45 and a 78 and has become a real collectors item. (Appearing on the Bear Family Twangin' From Phoenix to LA - The Jamie Years" box set which is now deleted.) The pair appeared weekly on a local TV Station singing the country hits of the day. Duane enquired if any of these broadcasts remain in either video or audio - unfortunately they have been long erased. Jimmy and Duane became very popular locally where they performed at the Coolidge Armory and other such local venues. Around this time Duane met Al Casey who was already a cronie of Lee Hazlewood and the two got on well with Al helping Duane to develop his already proficient playing. At the time as afore mentioned Duane played mostly finger style in the mold of his idol and future great friend Chet Atkins. Al was schooled in playing dances for any occasion and this versatility helped Duane's playing evolve. Gradually he began to sit in on Phoenix sessions which Lee Hazlewood was producing. These days, the world and his wife claim that Duane was on their session. Duane in fact appeared on relatively few artists' recordings including Loy Clingman, Donnie Owens, The Sharps, Sanford Clark. The Breakthrough By 1958 Duane's good looks and playing were making him good box office news around Phoenix. Lee Hazlewood recorded Duane playing "Moovin'n'Groovin'" and guitar and sax riff which Duane had developed from playing what was probably considered excessive use of the vibrato arm - Duane had to drop the Chet Atkins approach and learn a straight lead picking style - the twang was created! Lee toted the recording unsuccessfully around the major record companies. His persistence paid off, a small independent label in Philadelphia picked up the record. Jamie Records released the single, which made number 72 in the Hot 100 in the USA - an amazing achievement for a first attempt! Jamie wanted more and the team went back into the studio and produced the now legendary "Rebel Rouser" which not only made Number 6 in the USA but also hit record charts around the world establishing Duane Eddy as the rock and roll guitar star. Roll Out Those Hits! Duane's ability to produce popular records continued apace for a very long time: Movin'n'Groovin Rebel Rouser Ramrod Cannonball The Lonely One Yep! Forty Miles of Bad Road The Quiet Three First Love, First Tears Some Kinda Earthquake Bonnie Came Back Shazam! Because They're Young Kommotion Peter Gunn Pepe Theme From Dixie Gidget Goes Hawaiian Ring of Fire Drivin' Home My Blue Heaven Caravan The Avenger The Battle Deep in the Heart of Texas Ballad of Paladin Dance With The Guitar Man Boss Guitar Lonely Boy, Lonely Guitar Your Baby's Gone Surfin' Son of Rebel Rouser You Are My Sunshine Play Me Like you Play Your Guitar Peter Gunn (1986) Duane Eddy at the Movies Duane's international popularity inevitably led to screen roles which included "A Thunder of Drums"; two starring appearances in "Have Gun-Will Travel"; "Because They're Young"; "Kona Coast" and "The Savage Seven". Duane has also recorded music for the movies including Sweden's "Fata Morgana"; "Broken Arrow"; "Dixie Dyanmaite"; "Sing a Country Song" and others. Keep on Twangin' Duane continued to hit the charts in each Decade until the 1990's during which time he decided to take a break from the hectic touring regime. He made out for TV appearances in both the USA, United Kingdom and Sweden and produced the splendid Capitol album "Duane Eddy" which featured many of the people who held him in great esteem as their mentor - Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Fogerty, Steve Cropper. He regularly makes cameo appearances on albums stateside the most recent being Kenny Rogers and Jim Horn. Recollections of a Personal Appearance in England Duane's appearances in Concert are now few and are seemingly limited to the USA. Hopefully he will tour Europe again and thrill us all again with his powerhouse displays of rock and roll instrumental magic. Shaker Colin Kilgour and I had the very great pleasure of spending some considerable time with Duane before his concert at Northampton's Derngate in the late eighties where he talked about his experiences including a party at his next door neighbour's - Nancy Sinatra. The guy behind the bar was non other than Frank! He said that he has as friendly and as funny as you would like to imagine. We were also treated to Duane playing fingerstyle classical guitar - Rachmaninov's "Story of Three Loves" which was an echo of his roots before he developed his own inimitable style which is so fondly regarded around the world. Duane Eddy Guitars Duane had had three guitars produced under his signature The Guild Duane Eddy DE-400 and DE-500 (the DE-500 was reissued as a limited edition in 1978) The Gretsch 6120 Duane Eddy model produced in 1999. Awards Duane has been awarded so many accolades, which include numerous Gold, and Silver discs for albums, singles and extended players. In the United Kingdom alone he has made 22 chart appearances He has sold in excess of 100 million records. He is the biggest selling solo instrumentalist of all time He has won a "Grammy" for his 1986 version of "Peter Gunn" He topped Elvis Presley in the New Musical Express "World Musical Personality - 1960" He was recently awarded a "Chetty" at the Grand Old Opry (Ryman Auditorium) for his services to music. Continued Appreciation Duane continues to enjoy a huge following and is honoured each year in London with a "Duane Eddy Convention" which celebrates a 25th year in 2003. It is held by Duane's appreciation society - The Duane Eddy Circle who also publish a quarterly magazine "Twangsville" The Duane Eddy Circle has a website: http://www.angelfire.com/ar/twangsville/, also check out Jim Grant's Duane Eddy site: http://www.jimgrant.co.uk/duane/deddy.html and the Duane Eddy Tribute page (http://members.tripod.com/~Tony50/deddy-1.html)which all contain great photos and lots of information. Duane Eddy will be 64 on 26 April 2002 and is plenty young enough to reflect and enjoy his considerable achievements. Happy Birthday Duane!