Kentucky Headhunters And Southern Rock Are All Rock And Roll To Me
Well what a week!
It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride emotionally, especially with a friend’s funeral on Friday.
The whole thing affected my output this week, and I asked Teeg to cover for me by writing a post on Friday (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
Little did I know that my blog was going to get invaded by rednecks though, but I must thank her for giving us a better definition of what a redneck is.
Here in Australia, the term is usually associated with racism.
I was a little surprised at her definition of Southern rock though!
I would have thought that with the coming together of streams of country, blues and jazz music to produce rock and roll, that Rock is one music genre that the southern United States could justly claim!
With the invasion of the Beatles and the Liverpool sound in the 1960’s, and the progression of Rock since, it’s easy to forget just how it got started!
Southern Rock: Dumas Walker
Recorded by The Kentucky Headhunters, this clip was made in 1993!
The roots of Rock and Roll can be traced back to the 1950’s, and even as far back as the 1920s.
Streams that contributed to the music genre include country, gospel, blues, folk and Jazz.
Although groups such as Bill Haley and The Comets are credited with “starting” rock, it seems rather that it came together over a period of time.
Haley’s Rock Around The Clock was the first rock & roll song to top the Billboard charts.
“Rocking and Rolling” was slang for dancing or sex, and appeared on record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith’s “My Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll”.
Cleveland, Ohio disc jockey Alan Freed began playing rhythm and blues music for a multi-racial audience in 1951.
He is credited with first using the phrase “rock and roll” to describe the music.
According to Wikipedia, the music mainly developed in Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, Texas and parts of California.
In Summary, I’d have to agree with Billy Joel’s sentiment: It’s All Rock and Roll To Me!
More Kentucky Headhunters: Dixie Fried!
Started in 1968 as “Itchy Brother” by Richard Young, his brother Fred, and cousins Anthony Kenney and Greg Martin, “The Kentucky Headhunters” are an American country rock group.
Their early albums were embraced by both country and rock fans.
They are essentially a southern rock group that adapted their sound to country music.
Present Members:
- Greg Martin
- Doug Phelps
- Fred Young
- Richard Young
Former Members:
- Anthony Kenney
- Mark S. Orr
- Ricky Lee Phelps
The group has recorded for the following record labels: Polygram/Mercury, Elektra/Nonesuch, BNA, Audium/Koch and CBuJ Entertainment!
One Comment