What Is Rockabilly Music?

What Is Rockabilly Music ?



07.20.2011 · Posted in Arts & Entertainment



Upright bass became part of the rockabilly sound. Rockabilly is a fusion genre, combining the styles of
rock and hillbilly, more commonly called country music. This genre also incorporates swing, boogie-
woogie and rhythm and blues influences. Rockabilly dates back to the mid-1940s and early-1950s and
was popularized by artists such as Elvis Presley. The different styles came together with the purpose of
creating dance music that utilized few instruments.

The Delmore Brothers were among the first artists to successfully record rockabilly music, playing
primarily jazz sounds and boogie-woogie. Boogie-woogie is characterized as a piano-based blues sound
popularized in the ’30s and ’40s. The Delmore Brothers style of play was emulated by other popular
artists, such as Hank Thompson, Webb Pierce, Red Foley and Moon Mullican. The “boogie beat” is
performed at a faster tempo, conducive to dancing.

Rockabilly could not have progressed in the manner that it did if country artists, such as Hank Williams,
had not formalized the honky-tonk beat that become popular in country music. Williams utilized a steel
guitar and an acoustic bass to produce a unique sound that left an impression on newer artists, like Bill
Haley and Carl Perkins. Haley and the Saddlemen first utilized the slap bass sound that became an
integral part of the rockabilly sound. The slap bass sound, paired with a hillbilly singing voice,
characterized the rockabilly style.

The rhythm and blues influence in rockabilly music can be attributed to Sam Phillips and his recording
studio, established in 1950. He assembled an all-star cast of blues players: Bobby Bland, Howlin’ Wolf,
Walter Horton, James Cotton and Junior Parker, among many more. Phillips often used a variety of echo
sounds and over-amplification which created blunt and eclectic sounds that came to typify the rockabilly
style. Many country artists adapted these techniques, leading to further integration of the styles in both
directions — country into rhythm and blues and rhythm and blues into country.

Elvis is the most popular artist to have made rockabilly mainstream. While many attribute him to
founding the rockabilly genre, the history of artists shows it predated his released music. In 1954, he
released a song titled, “That’s All Right (Mama),” which featured classic rockabilly sounds, such as a
quick beat and vocal shutters. The guitar is simple and draws from standard country riffs. Elvis was
releasing quintessential rockabilly songs alongside other artists, such as Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison,
Stray Cats, Buddy Holly and Charlie Feathers with Jody and Jerry.


Source : HERE