Rockabilly Great Billy Lee Riley (1933-2009)

Influential Rockabilly artist Billy Lee Riley passed away over the weekend in Jonesboro, Arkansas at the age of 75. Riley had been battling colon cancer since May.

Riley was the son of sharecroppers and, being born during the great depression, found himself working in the cotton fields at the age of six. It was during this time that he first learned about blues music from the others working the fields. It was also at age six that his father gave him his first harmonica and, a few years later, a used Silvertone guitar.

At the age of 15, he lied about his age on forms for the military and started a four-year stint in the army. Once out, he formed both a country and a gospel band and started doing shows on local Arkansas radio stations.

In 1956, Riley teamed up with Jack Clement and Ronald Wallace to form a band. Their first recording, Trouble Bound/Think Before You Go, was picked up by Sam Phillips and Sun Records. Trouble Bound was paired with a new uptempo Rockabilly number, Rock With Me Baby, and the record became a local Memphis hit.

Phillips started using Clement as a producer who put together a new band for Riley, which included a young pianist named Jerry Lee Lewis. His second single, Flying Saucers Rock 'n' Roll, was released under the name Billy Riley and His Little Green Men. While not a national hit, the record became popular regionally.

Next up was Red Hot, a song that Alan Freed said was destined to become a huge hit. Unfortunately, Sam Phillips decided to put his promotional push behind Jerry Lee Lewis' Great Balls of Fire and Red Hot never lived up to its expectations.

Eventually, Riley grew tired of Phillips' broken promises and left the label. Over the rest of his life he would own various labels and record under a number of different names, but was never able to break through as a national artist.

His greatest fame may have come from the 70's on when Europeans rediscovered his records. He toured extensively and cut new albums for a number of labels. In addition, his Red Hot and Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll were recorded by Rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon.

There will be a benefit show on August 30 to try and help Riley's widow, Joyce, defray the costs of his lengthy medical situation. The show will be at the Silver Moon Club in Newport, Arkansas and will include appearances by Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, Travis Wammack, Carl Mann, Smoochy Smith (of the Mar-Keys), Ace Cannon and his band, Dale Hawkins and more.