Artist of the Week (Legend Series)

“Don’t You Step On My Blue Suede Shoes/You Can Do Anything/But Lay Off of My Blue Suede Shoes.”

Those immortal lyrics were written and sung by “The King.” “The King of Rockabilly,” that is! Our first Artist of the Week – Legend Series goes to the immortal Carl Perkins. Countless of music enthusiasts do not know the greatness that is Perkins. The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis were all supporters, friends and admirers of this legend.

Perkins was raised in Tennessee, where he picked cotton to help support his family. There, in the cotton fields, he was exposed to a rich tradition of Gospel, Rock and Blues music. One of his biggest supporters was a man named Uncle John, a 60 year old black cotton picker. Uncle John taught him how to play the guitar with passion. He developed a strong love and passion for music which grew into a profession as he got older and Perkins began performing his original songs in local bars.

In 1955, Perkins was signed to Sun Records, located in Memphis Tennessee. For those who do not know, Sun Records was an independent record label that signed young talent. Who did they sign? No one special, only artists like: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and many more! One night while recording his hit song “Matchbox,” Perkins found himself in a jam session with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, in what was called the “Million Dollar Quartet.” Can you imagine all those young amazing artist together? Simply amazing!

In March of 1956, Perkins was in a terrible car accident and the driver of the opposing car was killed. This left him hospitalized for months and during this time, he truly found out who his friends were. Even Elvis, who had gained fame by that time, made time to express his love for his dear friend. A few months prior, Elvis had re-worked Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” into a more Rock N Roll song which became one of Elvis’ biggest hits. While Perkins’ version did not do well on the charts, he was never jealous of the success of Elvis’ version (at least publicly). While lying in his hospital bed, he watched Elvis perform his song, and he was quoted as saying, “It was like TNT, man, it just exploded. All of a sudden the world was wrapped up in rock.”

The Beatles site Sun Records as a major influence on their sound and George Harrison was especially fond of Perkins. As a result, the Beatles often played many of Perkins songs in local bars during their early years. The Beatles recorded several of Perkins’ tracks for their albums, including: “Honey Don’t”, “Matchbox” and “Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby”. In fact, the album, The Beatles: Live at the BBC features several of Perkins’ songs, including “Glad All Over” and “Sure to Fall”. McCartney once stated that, “If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles.” More proof that The Beatles admired this man so much, that Sir Paul McCartney’s company is the official administer to his catalog. Also, George Harrison has been quoted as saying that Perkins was his favorite singer growing up and he learned to play the guitar to his music. Here is the intro to an intro for Perkins’ concert featuring interviews and legendary artists:

Later in life, Perkins performed with Chuck Berry, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Bono. He was elected into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Grammy Hall of Fame, The Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Also, the song “Blue Suede Shoes” was named by The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll. Perkins died in 1998 and his influence was so great that among the people at his funeral were: George Harrison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Wynonna Judd, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash and June Carter.

With such a rich and distinctive life, why is it that Perkins is not thought of in the same regard as our other “Legends”? Some of the people who place on that level site him as a major influence. I can not tell you why; all I can tell you is that this man left an invaluable imprint on Rock & Roll. In some small way, I am doing my best to pay tribute to a man who needs his due. R.I.P Mr. Perkins, I won’t dare step on your Blue Suede Shoes!

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