I’ve been revisiting a lot of very old work lately here in the studio, taking little walk down memory lane. Some of the memories are pleasant enough with “oh, yeah, I remember that” coming up periodically in my mind. Some are cringeworthy, making me glad I moved past that time. Some please me greatly and some make me smile. Such is the case with this little piece done in 1994.
Called Rockin’ Billy, it was done quickly in crayons. It’s rough-edged and kind of crude but has movement. I think I was listening to a bunch of old rockabilly at the time. Johnny Burnette, Warren Smith, Jerry Lee Lewis, that kind of stuff– rough-edged and a little crude with some real movement.
But I am pretty sure that this piece was a direct result of Billy Lee Riley and his distinct guitar playing, especially in a couple of my faves from that time, Flying Saucer Rock and Roll and Red Hot. Every time I stumble across this piece I have to break out the rockabilly for at least a few songs and that’s how it is on this Sunday morning. Here are those two songs from Billy Lee Riley.
Oh, what the hell, let me throw in Johnny Burnette’s Rock Billy Boogie. I can see Rockin’ Billy dancing across the stage now. Hope this helps you have your own rockin’ good time today.
I am really swamped in the studio getting work ready for my upcoming show at the West End Gallery. Too much to d0 so I wasn’t going to write anything today except maybe mention the start this morning of this year’s Tour de France, one of the great spectacles of world sport. This great bicycling event starts at Mont Saint Michel, an old abbey on a tidal island off the of coast Normandy, France. As you can see in the photo above, it’s an amazing sight, one that always stirs some mysterious emotional response within me.
Redtree Times 