R.I.P.

One of rock n’ roll’s greatest songwriters has passed on at the age of 68. Brooklyn born, Ellie Greenwich died in New York on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 of a heart attack, after being checking in to St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital a few days earlier for pneumonia. She wrote some of rock’s most memorable songs with and without her former husband, Jeff Barry. Her song credits include “Leader Of The Pack”, a smash for the Shangri-Las, “Chapel Of Love” for the Dixie Cups and several mega hits for producer Phil Spector including “Be My Baby”, “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”.

Ellie also produced some of Neil Diamond’s early recording such as “Cherry Cherry” and “Kentucky Woman” and is credited with helping Diamond move from being known only as a songwriter to being taken seriously as a vocalist.

For me, Ellie Greenwich was more than just a great songwriter, because I’m one of the people who LOVED her voice and phrasing. She recorded several great songs with Jeff Barry under the group name, The Raindrops like “The Kind Of Boy You Can’t Forget” and “What A Guy”. The flipside of their minor 1963 hit, “That Boy John” contained the original version of “Hanky Panky”, which would become the springboard hit for Tommy James & The Shondells a few years later. As a solo singer, Ellie touches my heart every time I hear her sweet voice croon, “You Don’t Know”, a true, underrated classic from 1965. It’s a song I play on the radio every chance I get, just so more people can hear it.

In later years, her songs have been featured in several Broadway shows and the musical “Leader Of The Pack” won a Tony Award for Best Musical in 1985.

Ellie Greenwich was one of those artists who didn’t make a large splash as a headliner, but without her songs and production in the background, rock n’ roll wouldn’t have been as sweet and we wouldn’t have so many great songs to sing along to.

On Sunday Morning, August 3rd, 2009 rockabilly and Sun Records legend Billy Lee Riley passed away from cancer of the colon. He was 75 years old and the epitome of what it means to be a rock n’ roller. Born into a large, poor family in Pocahontas, Arkansas on October 5, 1933, Billy Riley spent his whole life working hard to make that dollar. He began playing in various country bands after being discharged from the Military in 1954. He was a part of the famed Dixie Ramblers which also included future Sun Records engineer, producer and artist Jack Clement.

In 1956, Riley found himself on Sun Records as owner Sam Phillips reissued a song Riley had cut for the legendary Fernwood label, “Trouble Bound”. Sam placed “Rock With Me Baby” on the flip side and Sun Records 245 was issued in May of 1956. Sam then released the immortal “Flying Saucers Rock n’ Roll”, which will still burn your ears when you hear it today. By this time, Billy Riley and his band had evolved into the Sun Records house band, playing on records by Jerry Lee Lewis (including “Great Balls Of Fire”) and Sonny Burgess And The Pacers’ “Thunderbird” and “Itchy”.

Billy Lee Riley and His Little Green Men cut the definitive version of Billy “The Kid” Emerson’s “Red Hot”, but Sam Phillips failed to put any money behind it and opted to promote “Great Balls Of Fire” instead. “Red Hot” is definitely one of the greatest rock n’ roll songs of all-time as it defines the rockabilly sub-genre with all of it’s wild and crazy, guitar-driven stomp. It’s no wonder that Billy Riley felt shafted that Sam refused to promote what would become a Sun Records classic. 52 years later, we all know who laid that sound down and I have no doubt that Billy Lee Riley will be remembered FOREVER for his contributions to rock n’ roll.

Billy Riley was laid to rest in Newport, AR on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009. His longtime friends and fellow rockabilly legends Sonny Burgess, James Van Eaton and Roland Janes attended the small ceremony.

Many of Billy Riley’s contemporaries will pay tribute to him with a benefit concert for his family on August 30th at 1pm at The Silver Moon Club in Newport, AR. Performing at the show will be: Sonny Burgess and Pacers, WS Holland and band, Carl Mann, Ace Cannon and band, Dale Hawkins, Teddy Riedel, Larry Donn, Travis Wammack, Smoochy Smith, JM Vaneaton and many more. If you would live to make a donation to Billy’s widow, please click HERE for more information.