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Beyond
Bluegrass
Virginia's
Rock 'n' Rollers
Whether
it is known as rock ‘n roll, rockabilly or, in the
21st century, just plain rock, Virginia’s
contribution to popular music goes beyond the Carter
Family, Patsy Cline and the Statler Brothers. While
country and folk music play a significant role in
the commonwealth’s heritage and are celebrated
with The
Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail
and such events as the Grayson
County Fiddlers' Convention, the Old Dominion
has contributed talent to other musical genres as
well.
Take
Gene Vincent, for example. You can find his bio in
the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame. Those of you of a certain
era may not recognize his name, but probably
remember his trademark song, “Be-Bop-A-Lula.”
Vincent was born in 1935 and grew up in Norfolk, Va.
He listened to country music as a kid, was playing
guitar by the time he was a teen, and got his start
on a Hampton Roads radio show, that solicited talent
for a Grand Ole Opry-style show that took place at a
local theater on Friday nights. Vincent earned a
space on the show with his covers of Elvis Presley
songs and of course, his own “Be-Bop-A-Lula.”
In
the late 1950s, Vincent and his band, the Blue Caps,
recorded six albums for Capitol Records. Other hits
included “Lotta Lovin’” and “Dance to the
Bop.” His work is valued even today by artists
such as Jeff
Beck, and the LPs are among the most
collectable, often going for $400 a piece.
Vincent
appeared in one of the earliest rock and roll films,
"The
Girl Can't Help It" with Little Richard,
Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran and others. As teen idols
began to replace the early rock ‘n rollers,
Vincent’s popularity waned in the U.S., but he
remained a star in Britain and Europe through the
1960s. Seriously injured in an auto accident in
1960, Vincent died in 1971 at the age of 36 and
spent his last years in chronic pain.
Another
Virginian of the early rock ‘n roll era was Janis
Martin. RCA dubbed her “The Female Elvis
Presley” and Col. Tom Parker supposedly approved
of the tag. Born in Sutherlin, Va. in 1940, she
first embraced country music, and by the age of 11
was playing and singing on the radio station
WDVA’s Barndance out of Danville. She started
moving toward rock ‘n' roll and rockabilly
in her teens and by the time she was 15, she had
recorded “Will You, Willyum,” and its flip side
“Drugstore Rock and Roll.” The 45 became a hit
and sold 750,000 copies.
She
appeared on shows such as the “Tonight Show” and
“American Bandstand” and was voted the “most
promising female artist of 1956” at an annual disc
jockey convention, but her gender worked against
her. She was secretly married in 1956 and when she
became pregnant in 1958, RCA dropped the
17-year-old. She tried to start up her career
several times but with little success. She retired
from music in 1960, appearing only near her Virginia
home. But in the 1970s, she formed her own band and
similar to Vincent, found enthusiastic audiences
touring in Europe. She died of cancer in 2007 in her
Danville home.
Now,
jump ahead 50 years. Rock ‘n roll and rockabilly
have morphed into rock in all its permutations
–– acid rock, punk rock, folk rock, jazz rock
– to name a few, and Virginia still boasts
some contemporary rock stars. First there’s The
Dave Matthews Band. The story goes that in the
early 1990s songwriter Matthews was working as a
bartender in Miller’s, a Charlottesville bar, when
he met a friend who convinced him he should make a
demo of some songs he had composed. To find
musicians for the demo, Matthews recruited drummer
Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore, also
local Charlottesville musicians. The conductor of
the University of Virginia Orchestra, who was also
the local jazz guru, recommended a 16-year-old
prodigy, bassist Stefan Lessard. The band was
completed with keyboardist Peter Griesar (who has
since left the band) and violinist Boyd Tinsley. The
band’s first public appearance was at the
Charlottesville Earth Day Festival in 1991.
The
rest, of course, is history. The DMB, as it calls
itself, has been nominated for 12 Grammies and won
“Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with
Vocal” in 1997 for “So Much to Say.” It
has also won a number of VH1 awards.
The
group has honored its ecological roots by offering
assistance to the tsunami-ravaged communities in
Southeast Asia, providing a $1.5 million matching
grant for the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’
Village and arranging with two energy conservation
groups NativeEnergy
and Clean
Air - Cool Planet to offset 100 percent of CO2
emissions from their tours since 1991.
The
popular rock musician with the closest ties to his
native state seems to be Bruce
Hornsby. Based in Williamsburg, Hornsby and his
band The Noise Makers played at last year’s
Jamestown Anniversary Weekend festivities, along
with Chaka Khan and Ricky Skaggs. He was also once
was asked by a state senator whether he would like
to join the selection committee for a new state
song. Hornsby was sitting in the gallery in the
State Capitol at the time.
A
three-time Grammy winner, Hornsby embraces various
musical genres. In 1987 he won with the band, Range,
for “Best New Artist.” Two years later he was
honored for “Best Bluegrass Recording” for his
version of “The Valley Road,” which appeared on
a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album and in 1993, he won
for “Best Pop Instrumental performance” with
Branford Marsalis for their song, “Barcelona
Mona,” written for the Barcelona Olympics.
Recently he has recorded with Elton John and Eric
Clapton.
Thus,
rock ‘n roll and its descendants are alive and
well in the Old Dominion, even for those who only
listened. Those who love the old hip-swinging songs
can enjoy them at such festivities as "Viva
Elvis® and the Legends of Rock and Roll"
in Virginia Beach June 19 – 21 or "Luau
at the Beach" at Hungry Mother State Park
in Smyth County on August 15 with beach and oldies
music and a shagging contest. Back in Virginia
Beach, runners can join the Rock
'n Roll Half Marathon on Labor Day weekend and
set their pace to live bands playing rock hits old
and new. Or, NASCAR fans may want to check out Chevy
Rock 'n Roll 400 at the Richmond International
Raceway.
As
these Virginia musicians demonstrate, rock ‘n roll
may have begun with “Be-Bop-A-Lula” here in the
commonwealth, but all its variations continue to
thrive.
NEXT:
The Waterman’s Legacy: Shores and Islands of
Virginia
--
April 21, 2008
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