What’s “Rockabilly” and Who Were All of Those Rockers?
I was an astute twelve year old in Richmond at the peak of the rock-and-roll craze in the late 1950s. I loved Elvis (I had an Elvis hat), Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and many more, even Danny and the Juniors (“Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay”). But I don’t remember the term “rockabilly,” or 90 percent of the artists who are featured in the VHS’s show Virginia Rocks! The History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth. I knew Gene Vincent, and I later discovered Patsy Cline, Roy Clark, and Wayne Newton, and, locally, Jess Duboy, in their post-rockabilly careers. How did I miss all those other guys, and why is the term “rockabilly” new to me?
The exhibition teaches that rockabilly was one type of rock-and-roll—the type that was particularly popular in Virginia. It explains that Elvis Presley invented rockabilly by bringing together black music and hillbilly (“blues and bluegrass”). I can understand that concept; the fact that “hillbilly” is part of the term “rockabilly” is a pretty good clue. But in the 1950s in Richmond—at least over the radio and on television—what Elvis sang was called “rock-and-roll,” not “rockabilly.”
Why then was the term “rockabilly” used? What better way to find out than to turn to the recordings? Two of the sixty-one in the show actually make reference to “rockabilly”—or almost do. One is “Blue Baby Boogie” (1957) by Gene Simpson & the Rockabillies. Surely the Rockabillies must have been experts on “rockabilly.” Gene starts off by telling “little gal” that “if you’ve got a new heartache . . . Boogie your blues away.” He then calls out what sound like square-dance instructions. Hillbilly and black music are thereby mixed. The other song is Carl Tyndall’s “Hillbilly Rock” (1966), which pleads that hillbilly music be allowed to survive when Gene Vincent and the other national rock-and-rollers, along with The Beatles, have stolen the stage. He questions why “the people’s going hog-wild over Vincent rock-n-roll” (“why I can’t see to save my soul”). Carl wants to “sing, sing, sing,” and “dance hillbilly music up and make it hip again.” What should we conclude? That hillbilly music was a strong component of Virginia rockabilly and that Virginians didn’t want to let go of that heritage. The exhibition shows that it wasn’t just Virginians in the southwest who felt that way, but Virginians across the state.
Now to the other question—how could I have missed those guys? The answer is simple. I wasn’t old enough to go to the night spots throughout Virginia and see them in person. That’s the way they were heard the most. They put on quite a visual performance—as lively as Elvis did. Fortunately, we have a video in the show that lets us all step back in time to see what we missed.
Come see the show. Admission is free. It’s a wonderful opportunity either to reminisce or to learn.
Do I get it yet? Tell me what points I still don’t understand about “rockabilly.”