Bill Haley facts: The songs, life and death of the Comets leader and rock and roll pioneer
30 April ,
Blackboard Jungle – movie trailer featuring ‘Rock Around The Clock’
He didn't invent rock and roll, but Bill Haley had the genre's first megahit.
The story of rock and roll is a contentious tale of swirling origins, with blues, jazz and other Black genres of the s on rubbing shoulders with country music and other styles to truly explode in the s.
While he certainly didn't create rock and roll, Bill Haley (& his Comets) certainly played a part in popularising it, most of all with 'Rock Around The Clock'.
That song actually took a full year and a spot on a movie soundtrack to become a success, but was followed by a run of massive singles that helped bring rock and roll to the masses and cemented it as a true phenomenon.
But how much do you know about Bill Haley himself?
Read on for everything you ever wanted to know about the Comets bandleader.
When was Bill Haley born and where did he grow up?
William John Clifton Haley was born on July 6, , in Highland Park, Michigan to Kentucky-born dad William Albert Haley and mum Maude Green,
| Bill Haley | |
|---|---|
Bill Haley with Elvis Presley backstage at a concert in Frankfurt, Germany | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | William John Clifton Haley |
| Also known as | Jack Haley, Johnny Clifton, Scott Gregory |
| Born | July 6 () |
| Origin | Highland Park, Michigan |
| Died | February 9 (aged 55) |
| Genre(s) | Rock and roll, Country music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, bandleader |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, slap bass |
| Years active | – |
| Label(s) | Cowboy, Atlantic, Keystone, Center, Holiday, Essex, Decca, Warner Bros. Records, Orfeon, Dimsa, Newtown, Guest Star, Logo, APT, Gone, United Artists, Roulette, Sonet, Buddah, Antic |
| Associated acts | Bill Haley & His Comets, The Down Homers, The Jodimars |
Bill Haley (July 6, - February 9, ) was one of the first American rock and roll musicians, brought this form of music into the American mainstream in the mids with the hit song, "Rock Around the Clock." With his group Bill Haley & His Comets Haley expanded the appeal of rock and roll to a much wider audience after years of the style being relegated to the R & B and rockabilly markets.
After a mildly successful career as
Bill Haley facts for kids
William John Clifton Haley ( July 6, – February 9, ) was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-selling hits such as "Rock Around the Clock", "See You Later, Alligator", "Shake, Rattle and Roll", "Rocket 88", "Skinny Minnie", and "Razzle Dazzle". Haley has sold over 60 million records worldwide. In , he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Biography
Early life and career
Haley was born July 6, , in Highland Park, Michigan. In , the four-year-old Haley underwent an inner-ear mastoid operation which accidentally severed an optic nerve, leaving him blind in his left eye for the rest of his life. It is said that he adopted his trademark kiss curl over his right eye to draw attention from his left, but it also became his "gimmick", and added to his popularity. As a result of the effects of the Great Depression on the Detroit area, his father moved the family to Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, when Bill was seven years old. Haley's father William Albert Haley (–) was from Kentucky and played the ba
Born William John Clifton Haley, Jr., July 6, , in Highland Park, MI; died of heart failure February 9, , in Harlingen, TX; son of William John Clifton Haley (a farmer) and a church organist mother; married; several children. Singer, songwriter, guitar player, and bandleader, Formed band Four Aces of Western Swing, , and performed on WPWA Radio, Chester, PA, ; changed group name to Bill Haley and His Saddlemen, , released first single, "Rocket 88" on independent label, ; changed group name to Bill Haley and the Comets. Recorded with Essex label, , had first hit, "Crazy Man, Crazy," ; moved to Decca Records, , had multi-million seller with "Rock Around the Clock," Music was featured in the film "The Blackboard Jungle," , "Rock Around the Clock," , and "Don't Knock the Rock," Made numerous live appearances in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Central and South America, Membership of the Comets between and included John Grande (guitar), Bill Williamson (guitar), Marshall Lytle (bass), Dick Richards (drums), Joey D'Ambrosia (tenor saxophone), Al Rex (bass), Ralph Jones (drums), Rudy Pompelli (tenor saxophone), Frank Beecher, John Kay, and Dave Holly.
Bill Haley is known the wo
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