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Rock N Roll Turns 50 in July
Rock Around the Clock by The Comets first to top
the charts to start era
June 29, 2005 - The first week of July 2005 marks
the 50th anniversary of a monumental moment in popular culture and
memorable moment for millions of senior citizens. It was
in this week in 1955 that "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & The
Comets was certified as the first-ever rock 'n' roll record to top the
Billboard charts. The record stayed #1 for 8 weeks, eventually sold in
excess of 25 million copies worldwide - and spawned the entire rock era.
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THE COMETS
Bill Haley,
who died Feb. 1981 at 55, is 'top center' of the 1955 photo.
Left-to-right of The Comets for both pictures:
> Franny Beecher - lead guitar (83 years young!) The Comets:
1954-1962
> Johnny Grande - keyboards (76 years young!) The Comets [and
Haley's preceding band The Saddlemen] 1949-1962
> Joey Ambrose - saxophone (71 years young!) The Comets
1953-1956
> Marshall Lytle - double bass (71 years young!) The Comets [and
Haley's preceding band The Saddlemen] 1951-1956
Dick Richards - drums (81 years young!) The Comets 1953-1956
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Leading rock musicians such as John Lennon, Paul
McCartney, Frank Zappa, Pete Townshend and Graham Nash among many - have
all
publicly attributed their first musical stirrings to hearing that record
in the spring of 1955. (This occurred a full year before the first
success of Elvis Presley in April 1956.) For several of those artists -
seeing Bill Haley & The Comets perform live was also their first-ever
rock 'n' roll show.
The 50th anniversary will be saluted with the
world's first-ever "ROCK- AROUND-THE-CLOCK-ATHON!" -- a 32-hour marathon
of celebration events in Hollywood presented by some of America's most
prestigious institutions and iconic venues - including the Museum Of
Television & Radio, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, The American
Cinematheque, Grauman's Egyptian Theatre, The Hollywood RockWalk and
Johnny Depp's Viper Room. All but two of the events are entirely free to
the public.
The commemorations will salute the five surviving
members of the original lineup of The Comets - now in their 70's and
80's - who have reunited and will perform again during the celebrations.
Amplifying interest in the 50th anniversary of
rock's beginnings is the timing of the eight "Live 8" concerts - that
represent the most spectacular utilization of rock 'n' roll in the
half-century since Haley & The Comets blazed the trail with "Rock Around
The Clock."
On Saturday July 2nd - the exact 50th anniversary
of the day that "Rock Around The Clock" was officially certified #1 in
the charts - the music that it launched will be the universal language
being used by Bob Geldof's eight "Live 8" concerts around the world.
The roster of rock 'n' roll musicians performing
is unprecedented and surpasses even the 1985 "Live Aid" lineup. The
concerts in eight cities (London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Rome,
Toronto, Tokyo and Johannesburg) naturally start at different times -
and thus on July 2nd the world's leading musicians - and an estimated 2
billion people watching on TV and the internet - will literally "Rock
Around The Clock."
"The lingua franca [common language] of the planet,
as we learned from Live Aid, is not English-it's pop music
. The boys
and girls with guitars will finally get to turn the world on its axis."
- Bob Geldof - June 2005.
The coincidence of this series of ground-breaking
concerts with their immense political ramifications taking place on the
exact 50th anniversary of the day that rock 'n' roll first came of age
is increasing public and media attention on the musicians who were among
its principal architects half a century ago.
Haley & The Comets' first rock 'n' roll recording was in 1951 and
music historians have long noted that their pioneering work in fusing
country & western with rhythm & blues occurred several years before the
many worthy artists who followed in their footsteps - including Elvis
Presley, Carl Perkins, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Gene
Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and The Everly
Brothers.
The official celebrations honoring the deep impact
made on the world's culture by Bill Haley & The Comets exactly 50 years
ago - take place in Los Angeles on Tuesday July 5th and Wednesday July
6th -
under the umbrella title of "The Rock-Around-The-Clock-Athon!" The
program includes gala screenings of Bill Haley & The Comets movies and
TV appearances, an exhibit of rare rock 'n' roll memorabilia curated by
the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame - and a display of vintage Gibson
guitars.
The two highlight events are the band's induction
into Hollywood's RockWalk on Sunset Boulevard (during which their
handprints will be enshrined in cement) and their headlining performance
at "The Comets Jubilee Ball!" being held at Johnny Depp's legendary
Viper Room. (The Comets are the oldest band ever to perform at that
venue.)
The five members of The Comets range in age from 71
(the sax player) to nearly 84 (the lead guitarist.) Their average age is
76 - and they have a cumulative 381 years between them!
The Comets started in 1952 - evolving out of Bill Haley's previous
band the Saddlemen. Two of the five surviving Comets had been with Haley
since 1949 and 1951 - and became founder members of The Comets in 1952.
The other three joined shortly afterwards.
Wednesday July 6th also happens to be the 80th
anniversary of the birth of the late Bill Haley. (Bill Haley died in
February 1981 at the age of 55.) Mrs. Bill "Cuppy" Haley - who was
married to Haley through his halcyon years 1952-1960 - will attend the
ceremonies honoring her late husband and the Comets.
The celebrations have been organized by
the "Rock Is Fifty!" Honorary Committee - a non-profit group -
instigated and spearheaded by producer/rock historian/radio host Martin
Lewis - who in February 2004 initiated and produced the massive
nationwide celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' first US
visit.
There is a website that provides the public with
comprehensive information about all the various official celebrations is
www.RockIsFifty.com
Further Information about the Live 8 Concerts:
www.live8live.com
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