Bill Haley

• Born: July 6, 1925
• Birthplace: Highland Park, Michigan
• Died: February 9, 1981
• Place of death: Harlingen, Texas

American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist

Haley melded country music with rhythm and blues, leading to rock and roll. His signature song, “Rock Around the Clock,” was an enthusiastic anthem to the new music genre.

Member of The Downhomers; the Four Aces of Western Swing; the Saddlemen; Bill Haley and His Comets

The Life

William John Clifton Haley was born in Highland Park, Michigan, and he grew up in Booth’s Corner, Pennsylvania. During his childhood, he had an operation that left him blind in his left eye. He is said to have cultivated his spit-curl hairstyle to distract from the blind eye, and admirers in the 1950’s imitated the style without knowing the reason behind it. Haley joined a Pennsylvania-based Western swing band in 1946, and he made his first professional recordings with it. After that, he formed several Western-themed groups of his own.

Haley began to change his musical style in the early 1950’s to a combination of country and rhythm and blues. He renamed his group as the Comets, and his 1953 recording of “Crazy Man, Crazy,” which he cowrote, became the first rock-and-roll record to land on American charts.

In 1954 Bill Haley and His Comets recorded “Rock Around the Clock.” This song found a huge audience, and it paved the way for the success of later performers such as Elvis Presley, whose popularity would eclipse Haley’s in the United States. Nevertheless, Haley found renewed popularity in Latin America, Mexico, and Europe during the 1960’s. Despite a battle with alcoholism, Haley continued as an international star (he gave a command performance in Great Britain for Queen Elizabeth II in 1979). His last performances came in 1980 in South Africa, a year before his death.

The Music

Although he is most famous for launching the music known as rock and roll, Haley began as a country-music artist. Haley also performed in other musical genres for which he is remembered much less.

“Rocket 88.”This song marked Haley’s change in musical styles. It was originally produced by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats, and Haley’s rendition was the first time a white country singer performed a traditionally black rhythm-and-blues tune in this manner. Its reception encouraged Haley, a year later, to record “Rock the Joint,” previously recorded by other bands. Both records sold almost one hundred thousand copies in the Northeast, persuading Haley that this musical style had great potential.

“Crazy Man, Crazy.”Written by Haley and his bass player, Marshall Lytle, this song was the first rock-and-roll song to place significantly on American popularity charts. Soon after its release, the band’s name was changed to Bill Haley and His Comets.

“Rock Around the Clock.”This was released by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954 to modest success. It had been written specifically for Haley the previous year. However, when the song was sung behind the opening credits of Blackboard Jungle (1955), a film based on Evan Hunter’s novel about violence at an inner-city school that was nominated for four Academy Awards, the song’s popularity soared. A year later, a film with the song title was released, a light story about young people’s enthusiasm about rock and roll, a celebration of the newly popular music style. It featured Haley and other artists playing themselves. The motion picture and song were instrumental in launching a musical revolution.

“Shake, Rattle and Roll.”This was Haley’s follow-up to “Rock Around the Clock.” It had already been a hit for Joe Turner, but that version had more of a blues approach, while Haley’s was straightforward rock and roll. It was the first rock-and-roll recording to sell more than a million copies.

“Florida Twist.”When Haley’s popularity in rock and roll began to be surpassed by other artists, he and his bands toured outside the United States. For a time, he made Mexico his home, and he tried to learn Spanish. In 1961 he made his first recording in Spanish, “Florida Twist.” It went to the top of the popularity charts, becoming the biggest-selling single record in Mexico.

Musical Legacy

Rock and roll, as performed by Bill Haley and His Comets, caught on with the younger generation with an enthusiasm that still affects commercial music. Their songs were featured in major entertainment venues, such as popular motion pictures, and Haley appeared in some films. Younger artists such as Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard followed in Haley’s wake, and they eventually eclipsed his fame. However, Haley is remembered for being first. He even received recognition in outer space: In 2006, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Haley’s death, the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid in his honor.

Bibliography

Dawson, Jim. Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution! San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2005. This books covers the origin of the song “Rock Around the Clock,” and it traces Haley’s early years as a professional musician.

DeCurtis, Anthony, ed. Present Tense: Rock and Roll and Culture. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1992. Contributors from a variety of fields look at the rock-and-roll phenomenon from different points of view, covering its creation and its audience.

Haley, John W., and John von Hoëlle. Sound and Glory: The Incredible Story of Bill Haley, the Father of Rock ’n’ Roll and the Music That Shook the World. Wilmington, Del.: Dyne-American, 1990. Coauthored by one of his sons, the book offers extensive background on Haley, his career, and his influence on rock and roll.

Stuessy, Clarence, and Scott Lipscomb. Rock and Roll: Its History and Stylistic Development. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 2008. Covers the history of rock and roll from its roots to the present, with insights into the music industry and into the key figures in the evolution of this musical style.

Swenson, John. Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll. Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.: Stein and Day, 1983. The book concentrates on Haley’s entire career, from its initial success to the reasons for its decline.

Principal Recordings

albums (with Bill Haley and His Comets): He Digs Rock ’n’ Roll, 1955; Shake, Rattle and Roll, 1955; Music for the Boyfriend, 1956; Rock Around the Clock, 1956; Rock ’n’ Roll Stage Show, 1956; Rock the Joint!, 1957; Rockin’ the Oldies, 1957; Rockin’ Around the World, 1958; Chicks, 1959; Strictly Instrumental, 1960; Bill Haley’s Jukebox, 1961; Twisting Knights, 1962; Rock Around the Clock King, 1964; Rip It Up, 1968; Mister Rock ’n’ Roll, 1973; Rock ’n’ Roll, 1975; Rock Around the Clock, 1976; Armchair Rock ’n’ Roll, 1978; Rock ’n’ Roll Forever, 1981; Rock ’n’ Roll Revival, 1981.

singles: “She Taught Me to Yodel,” 1946 (with the Downhomers); “Too Many Parties and Too Many Pals,” 1948 (with the Four Aces of Western Swing); “Candy Kisses,” 1949 (with the Four Aces of Western Swing); “Tennessee Border,” 1949 (with the Four Aces of Western Swing); “Rocket 88,” 1951 (with the Saddlemen); “Rock the Joint,” 1952 (with the Saddlemen); “Crazy Man, Crazy,” 1953 (with Bill Haley and His Comets); “Rock Around the Clock,” 1954 (with Bill Haley and His Comets); “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” 1954; “Florida Twist,” 1961.