- Born
- Died
- Birth nameCarl Lee Perkins
- Nickname
- The King of Rockabilly
- Height6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
- Carl Lee Perkins was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who recorded at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, beginning in 1954. Among his best-known songs are "Blue Suede Shoes", "Honey Don't", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby".
According to Charlie Daniels, "Carl Perkins' songs personified the rockabilly era, and Carl Perkins' sound personifies the rockabilly sound more so than anybody involved in it, because he never changed." Perkins's songs were recorded by artists (and friends) as influential as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash and Eric Clapton, which further established his place in the history of popular music. Paul McCartney said "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles."
Called "the King of Rockabilly", he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Bonitao - Carl Perkins is an American singer, songwriter who recorded most notably at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, beginning in 1954. Amongst his best-known songs are "Blue Suede Shoes", "Matchbox", "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby".
Perkins's songs were recorded by artists and friends as influential as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton which further established his place in the history of popular music. Paul McCartney claimed that "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles."
Called "the King of Rockabilly", Carl Perkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
- SpouseValda Crider(January 24, 1953 - January 19, 1998) (his death, 4 children)
- Perkins and Johnny Cash gave each other the ideas for two of their biggest songs. Perkins got the inspiration to write his best known song "Blue Suede Shoes" from Cash, who told Perkins stories of soldiers on leave while Cash was in the military who would start a fight with anyone who got near their blue suede shoes. Cash got the idea for "I Walk the Line" when Perkins commented on all the groupies that they had access to now that they were famous and Cash countered, "Not me, brother, I walk the line." Perkins immediately responded, "Hey, I walk the line...that would be a great title for a song.".
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
- Injured in road accident on the way to appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948).
- Perkins' version of "Blue Suede Shoes" (not Elvis') was the bigger hit in 1956.
- He was one of Johnny Cash's best friends, the two having became close when they were both on Sun Records' roster, and they even wrote songs for the other perform at the time. In unison, Cash developed his addiction to speed and Perkins developed his to alcohol, and (after a car crash ended Perkins career) Cash took him on as part of his touring band.
- That rockabilly sound wasn't as simple as I thought it was.
- If it weren't for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song.
- If it helped you get your music off the ground, I'm glad you done it.
- After all those days in the cotton fields, the dreams came true on a gold record on a piece of wood. It's in my den where I can look at it every day. I wear it out lookin' at it.
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