December 8th in the Evolution of Rock 'n Roll: The Best of Times and the Worst of Times, too...

December 8^th Birthdays in the Evolution of Rock ‘n Roll…

Jerry Butler (The Ice Man):

According to Wikipedia: 

Jerry Butler (born Jerry Butler Jr.; December 8, 1939, Sunflower, Mississippi)   is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the famed R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Butler is also an American politician. He serves as a Commissioner for Cook County, Illinois, having first been elected in 1985. As a member of this 17-member county board, he chairs the Health and Hospitals Committee, and serves as Vice Chair of the Construction Committee…

Jim Morrison (The Lizard King):

A member of the “27 Forever Club”

James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was a singer and songwriter best remembered as the lead vocalist of the Doors…

Gregory LeNoir "Gregg" Allman (born December 8, 1947) is an American rock and blues singer-songwriter, keyboardist, guitarist and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band…

December 8^th in the Evolution of Rock ‘n Roll: Some of the best of times but definitely one of the worst of times, too…

R.I.P. Brother John Lennon…

 John Ono Lennon, MBE, born John Winston Lennon; Born October 9, 1940 

and murdered on December 8, 1980...

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January 17, 2012: Johnny Otis, a Rock 'n' Roll pioneer who reached #9 in America (Number One R ‘n B Charts) with "Willie And The Hand Jive" in 1958, died of natural causes at the age of 90…

Johnny Otis was an influential performer, disc jockey, record producer, TV show host and talent scout. 





He is credited with  discovering such artists as Jackie Wilson,  Little Willie John, Hank Ballard,  Big Mama Thornton 
  and Little Esther….



Otis scored 15 Top 10 R ‘n B hits between 1950 and 1952, including his #1 cover of the jazz standard “Harlem Nocturne.” 



Not only was he ultra talented, he could spot it in others. Johnny opened up his own club in L.A., the Barrelhouse, to showcase his discoveries…

When Etta James only 13 years old, Johnny produced and co-wrote her first hit single “Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry).”

  

  He also discovered Big Mama Thornton singing while cleaning hotel rooms. He co-wrote, produced and played on her seminal recording of “Hound Dog” in 1953, several years before Elvis Presley brought the song to the charts; however Otis’ songwriting credit was removed from Elvis’ recording by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. “Every Beat of My Heart” was a hit tune he wrote for The Royals in 1952…



 And, of course,  Gladys Knight & The Pips had a hit with the same tune in 1961….

Johnny Otis  produced Johnny Ace’s number one hit “Pledging My Love”



 and The Fiestas’ classic hit “So Fine”    

 —He was also playing on those two hit records!

He’s most remembered for a 1958 release that climbed all the way to #9 on the Pop charts and #1 R ‘n B; that song with the infectious Bo Diddley beat and terrific guitar work by Jimmy Nolen, “Willie and the Hand Jive.” 

    The song is about a dance featuring hand movements called “The Hand Jive.”
The “Hand Jive” dance came from England where teenagers were not permitted to stand and dance at concert venues. Instead they created a hand movement dance that could be done from their seats.
 It’s also been said that the “Hand Jive” was also slang for masturbation…

Eric Clapton had a #26 chart hit with the song in 1974, as had Johnny Rivers in 1973. George Thorogood also had a minor chart hit with the song in 1985...

Johnny Otis was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994. He died of natural causes on January 17, 2012.

R.I.P. Johnny Otis, the original

KING OF ROCK ‘n ROLL…

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November 14, 1956: Jerry Lee Lewis cuts his first record - "End of the Road" b/w "Crazy Arms" for Sun. It is credited to Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano...

November 14, 1956:  

Sam Phillips is at the mixing board for Jerry Lee Lewis' first Sun Records recording session...

The session produces the single 

"End Of The Road" / "Crazy Arms"...

Although the single failed to gain much attention, both songs showed a drive and energy that forecasted things to come….

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED…