Tommy BLAKE

Chanteur Rockabilly US né Thomas LeVan Givens, en 1931 à Shreveport (Louisiane). Tommy Blake débute en 1945 en formant un petit groupe de Country Music. Il enregistre un premier disque en 1955 pour le label Recco Records, puis il passe chez Buddy (56), Chancellor (57), RCA (57), Sun (57/58) et Recco (59). Tommy est décédé à Carthage (Texas), en 1985.
Rockabilly artist Tommy Blake, like so many before him, started his career as a straight-ahead country singer before making the switch to the big beat. Born and raised in Shreveport, LA, Blake (born Thomas Givens) was already working in a teenage combo playing country music at station KTBS in the early '50s. By 1955, he had graduated to the Big D Jamboree in Dallas, TX, and Shreveport's junior version of the Opry, the Louisiana Hayride. A year later, he was a regular member of Johnny Horton's TV show out of Tyler, TX, and had cut his first record for the tiny Buddy label out of Marshall, TX. By 1957, Blake had put together his first great band, the Rhythm Rebels, featuring the red-hot guitar talents of one Carl Adams, who would later find fleeting fame with Dale Hawkins.
After a one-off session for RCA Victor, yielding a track called "All Night Long," Blake met Sam Phillips and re-recorded the same tune for Sun as "Lordy Hoody." By March of 1958, Blake was back at 706 Union recording more material, with another single seeing release and the rest finding its way into rockabilly history via reissues in the 1970s and '80s. Blake kept recording for smaller and smaller labels, pitching songs to anyone who had a ready advance, leaving "Story of a Broken Heart" for Johnny Cash to record after Blake had left Sun. He continued to write tunes, like "Cool Gator Shoes" with Carl Belew, and record a few stray 45s for Chancellor and Recco after his time with Sun, but Blake continued a downward spiral until he was killed by his wife in a domestic dispute over the Christmas holidays in 1985.
http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/tblake.htmTalents : Singer, Guitar
Style musical : Rockabilly, Rock 'n' Roll

KOOLIT

Blake, Tommy



Real name Thomas LeVan Givens. Born 1931 in Shreveport, La. Died in 1985.

References:
Article and sessionography in issue 22 (1979) of New Kommotion.
Feature article and sessionography in issue 92 (2004) of Rockin' Fifties.

Original Releases

Date & Source	Label & Number	V	Titles {& References to LP/CD List}	As By	Matrix Numbers
1956/June C&WJ rev.	Buddy B-107		Koolit {j,k,l, I,V,W, 1c} If I Am A Fool	2 2	+ -
1957/May 27 Bb c&w rev.	RCA Victor 47-6925		Mister Hoody [instr.] {V} Freedom {V}	3 3	H2WW-0685 H2WW-0684
1957/Aug. (Bb est.)	Sun 278		Lordy Hoody {n,v,z, C,G,M,R,U,V} Flat Foot Sam {d,g,i,p,q,r,t,v,x,y,z, A,H,L,N,P,Q,V,Y, 1a,1b}	4 4	U-267 U-266
1958/July (Bb est.)	Sun 300		I Dig You Baby {b,m,u,z, E,N,V, 1d} Sweetie Pie {a,m,u,z, J,V}	1 1	U-313 U-312
1959/Nov. mx series	Recco 1006		F-Olding Money {f,h,k, V,Z} The Hanging Judge {V}	1 1	9594 CP-2439 9593 CP-2438
Additional Tracks on Comps
1958 (Sun Rec.)	Sun unissued		Shake Around {m,z, D,R,S,V} You Better Believe It {e,m,z, F,K,V}
	[unissued]		All Night Long {o,s,w, B,T,V} Cool Aligator {k} Honky Tonk Mind (Woman I Need) {o,s,w, O,V} I'll Be Free {k, V} Lordy Hoody [alt. vers.] {c}

[need info]

Ballad Of A Broken Heart {V} Chuckie {V} Cool Alligator {V} Diesel Truck {V} I Dig You Baby [vers. 2] {V} I Still Love You {V} If I'm A Fool {V} Little Lovelight {V} My Alice Faye {V} Shake Around [vers. 2] {V,X} Window Of My Heart {V} You Better Believe It [vers. 2] {V} You Better Believe It [vers. 3] {V}

References in "As By" Column:

1. as by Tommy Blake
   
2. as by Tommy Blake With The Rhythm Rebels
   
3. as by Tommy Blake And The Rhythm Rebels
   
4. as by Tommy Blake / The Rhythm Rebels / Vocal Group, Singing Sons
   

Collector-Oriented Compilation LPs and CDs Containing Tracks

	1973
a.	SSS HJS 224 (lp)	Rocking & Stomping
	1975
b.	Bopcat 300 (lp)	I'm Moving On
	1976
c.	Bopcat 400 (lp)	Goin' Back To Memphis
d.	Charly CR 30105 (lp)	Sun - The Roots Of Rock, Vol. 5: Rebel Rockabilly
	1977
e.	Charly CR 30116 (lp)	Sun - The Roots Of Rock, Vol. 9: Rebel Rockabilly, Vol. 2
	1980
f.	Big H 79108 (lp)	Vintage Rock 'N' Roll Collector's Items, Vol. 8
	1981
g.	Charly CRM 2015 (lp)	Rebel Rockabilly
h.	Eric's 008 (lp)	Jukebox At Eric's, Vol. 1: Rock 'N Roll
	1982
i.	Sun (England) CFM 513 (10-in. lp)	Teenage Bop