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Ronnie Weisers stuff is HERE~
www.rockabillyhall.com/COLRockRon.html and www.rollinrockrecords.com
Influences
By BEN RATLIFF
Charlie Feathers, one of the great original rockabilly singers, died Aug. 29 at St. Francis
Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He was 66 and lived in Memphis.
The cause was complications from a stroke, his wife, Rosemary, said.
On his best records of the mid- and late 1950s, released on the Sun, Meteor and King labels,
Feathers' voice is completely original -- a trembling, high, humid plaint.
He sang classic songs that defined the meeting place of honky-tonk, bluegrass and rockabilly,
including "You're Right, I'm Left, She's Gone" (which Elvis Presley recorded for Sun), "Defrost Your
Heart," "One Hand Loose" and -- perhaps the most prized record of rockabilly enthusiasts --
"Tongue Tied Jill."
That song -- about a "real gone chick" with a speech problem, which Feathers demonstrated in its
babbling chorus -- was born from his conversation with a stammering telephone operator.
But his records sold poorly, and historians of American music have recounted Feathers' career as a
question: Why didn't Feathers, with all his talent, attain any of the fame of Sun records label-mates
like Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis?
It could have been his voice, which was slightly too hiccupingly and shriekingly radical for mass
consumption.
It could have been his rudimentary education; he was barely literate.
Some thought it was his character, often described as brash and aggressive.
Feathers always insisted, contrary to other accounts, that he was intimately involved in many of
Presley's early songs, as arranger and sometimes as writer. His only writing credit for a Presley song
was a shared one, on "I Forgot to Remember to Forget.
There was no question, however, of his talent.
"In the blues feeling that he put into a hillbilly song," Sam Phillips, the head of Sun records, has said,
"Charlie should have been just a superb top country artist. He could have been the George Jones of
his day -- a superb stylist."
Feathers was born near Holly Springs, Miss., and grew up in a family of tenant farmers. He took
guitar lessons from Junior Kimbrough, the blues singer, who lived on a nearby farm.
Having left school by the age of 10, he worked on oil pipelines with his father in Illinois and Texas.
He settled in Memphis in 1950, and his first recording, on the Flip label, was "I've Been Deceived,"
in 1955. By 1960, after about a dozen singles, his career was lagging.
He persevered, and eventually European rockabilly fans discovered him. After the broadcast of a
British television documentary, he did a concert at the Rainbow Theater in London in 1977 that was
recorded by EMI; this raised his stock considerably, but by then he was classified as an oldies
performer.
In later years, Feathers played locally around Memphis, often in a band with his son and daughter.
His final album, self-titled, was recorded in 1991 for Elektra/Nonesuch as part of the label's Explorer
series. "Get With It: Essential Recordings 1954-69," a reissue of his greatest moments, was just
released by Revenant.
In addition to his wife, Feathers is survived by his sons, Charles (Bubba) Jr., and Ricky , both of
Memphis; a daughter, Wanda Vanzant of Memphis; five brothers, Olton, of Memphis; V.A., of
Pottscamp, Miss.; Herbert, of Holly Spring, Miss.; Lawrence, of Olive Branch, Miss., and Darnell,
of South Haven, Miss, and three grandchildren.
Read more here!!
Read More on Rockin' Ronnie Weiser here~
www.rockabillyhall.com/COLRockRon.html
and www.rollinrockrecords.com
Charlie Feathers, (June 12, 1932 - August 29, 1998), was an influential rockabilly and country music performer and a kickass guy who did his own thing, no matter what he was told.
Feathers was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and recorded a string of popular singles like "Peepin' Eyes," "Defrost Your Heart," "Tongue-Tied Jill," and "Bottle to the Baby" on Sun Records, Meteor and King Records in the 1950s.
Feathers was known for being a master of shifting emotional and sonic dynamics in his songs. His theatrical, hiccup-styled, energetic, rockabilly vocal style inspired a later generation of rock vocalists, including Lux Interior of The Cramps.
He claimed his early influences were from African American field blues he heard in Mississippi as a youth. His childhood influences were reflected in his later music of the 1970s and 1980s, which had an easy-paced, sometimes sinister, country-blues tempo, as opposed to the frenetic fast-paced style favored by some of his rockabilly colleagues of the 1950s.
In the mid-1980s, he performed at times at new music nightclubs like the Antenna Club in Memphis, Tennessee, sharing the bill with rock-and-roll bands like Tav Falco's Panther Burns, who, as devoted fans of Feathers, had introduced him to the label's president.
He released his New Jungle Fever album in 1987 and Honkey Tonk Man in 1988, featuring the lead guitar work of his son, Bubba Feathers. These later albums of original songs penned by Feathers were released on the French label New Rose Records, whose other 1980s releases included albums by cult music heroes like Johnny Thunders, Alex Chilton, Roky Erickson, The Cramps, The Gun Club, and others.
Colonel Robert Morris was on the drums for Feathers in the 1970s.
Feathers' song, "That Certain Female" was featured on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film, Kill Bill Vol. 1.
And "Can't hardly stand it" in Kill Bill Vol.2
Charlie Feathers' pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
The sounds you make are creative and wonderful. I wonder if you are from this world to have created such beautiful sounds. Answer me this. There are two opinions when it comes to the world of zombies. Are you a fast zombie person or a slow zombie person? Thanks. Keep defending your side of Heaven.
Charlie Feathers : one of the greatest rockabilly masters ever ! Thanks for being a virtual friend. And don't forget to come and yell with The Soul Preacher to the crazy rockin' sounds of the CALL OF THE WILD raw and savage podcast !
Howdy all... I hope all you American listeners had a great 4th! Here is my playlist for tommorow's Rock-a-billy & BEYOND over at RADIO FREE PHOENIX
#74 "Taking Care Of Business" Elvis Presley - Shake Rattle And Roll Elvis Presley - Paralyzed Elvis Presley - Long Tall Sally Little Richard - Miss Ann Charlie Feathers - That Certain Feamale Charlie Feathers - We're Getting Closer To Being Apart Charlie Feathers - Walkin' The Dog Buck Owens and his Buckaroos - Act Natrually Buck Owens and his Buckaroos - Buckaroo (inst.) Johnny Horton - The Electrified Donkey Ronnie Hawkins - Honey Don't Buddy Holly - mailman, Bring Me No More Blues Rocky Burnette - Dinchu Comamnder Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen - Good Rockin' Tonight Gary Myrick - Blue gene Vincent Dickie Harrell w/ Billy Swan - Lotta Louvin' Johnny Meeks, Dickie Harrell, Glen Glenn and "Bubba" Facenda at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, AZ, December 11, 2001
The Booze Bombs - That Don't Move Me The Elderly Brothers - Good God Big Jef Special - Choptop Chevy Big Jef Special - Drinkin' At Lou's (funny- ->)Alfred E Newman - It's A Gas
Hope you can tune on in for a rockin' good time... Miss Holley King
Just heard about the new recordings including unreleased stuff on 3 new cd's on the Norton label, I hope to pick them all up when I'm over in the states next week !!!
I travelled down south on my Blues trip to Holly Springs & the Deep South & then paid respect to my hero Charlie Feathers at his resting place in Memphis..a complete honour for me !
I adore the hard to find & rare recordings on Norton which I managed to get volumes 2 & 3 while in Memphis which were amazing to hear on our road travels !!
Charlie , IT WAS MY HONOR TO HAVE KNOWN YOU , IF , SADLY , FOR ONLY A VERY SHORT TIME. I KNOW , WHERE YOU ARE , YOUR SUFFERING IS OVER , BUT YOUR MUSIC , LIKE YOU , WILL GO ON ETERNALLY. A GREAT DAY OF REBIRTH TO YOU ALWAYS , AND A GREAT AND HAPPY CHARLIE FEATHERS' BIRTHDAY TO THE MAN AND ALL HIS FAMILY , FRIENDS AND FANS.
Charlie Feathers is the King of Rockabilly , and , when I say "King" , I mean HIS MAJESTY!!! Never lose the "Fillin'" . Love , John.
<
Ronnie Weisers stuff is HERE~
www.rockabillyhall.com/COLRockRon.html and www.rollinrockrecords.com
Read More on Rockin' Ronnie Weiser here~
www.rockabillyhall.com/COLRockRon.html
and www.rollinrockrecords.com
Charlie Feathers, (June 12, 1932 - August 29, 1998), was an influential rockabilly and country music performer and a kickass guy who did his own thing, no matter what he was told.
Feathers was born in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and recorded a string of popular singles like "Peepin' Eyes," "Defrost Your Heart," "Tongue-Tied Jill," and "Bottle to the Baby" on Sun Records, Meteor and King Records in the 1950s.
Feathers was known for being a master of shifting emotional and sonic dynamics in his songs. His theatrical, hiccup-styled, energetic, rockabilly vocal style inspired a later generation of rock vocalists, including Lux Interior of The Cramps.
He claimed his early influences were from African American field blues he heard in Mississippi as a youth. His childhood influences were reflected in his later music of the 1970s and 1980s, which had an easy-paced, sometimes sinister, country-blues tempo, as opposed to the frenetic fast-paced style favored by some of his rockabilly colleagues of the 1950s.
In the mid-1980s, he performed at times at new music nightclubs like the Antenna Club in Memphis, Tennessee, sharing the bill with rock-and-roll bands like Tav Falco's Panther Burns, who, as devoted fans of Feathers, had introduced him to the label's president.
He released his New Jungle Fever album in 1987 and Honkey Tonk Man in 1988, featuring the lead guitar work of his son, Bubba Feathers. These later albums of original songs penned by Feathers were released on the French label New Rose Records, whose other 1980s releases included albums by cult music heroes like Johnny Thunders, Alex Chilton, Roky Erickson, The Cramps, The Gun Club, and others.
Colonel Robert Morris was on the drums for Feathers in the 1970s.
Feathers' song, "That Certain Female" was featured on the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's 2003 film, Kill Bill Vol. 1.
And "Can't hardly stand it" in Kill Bill Vol.2
Charlie Feathers' pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
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