LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN

Invité

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN

26/05/2008

While in vacationing in Memphis to enjoy the legendary “Sun” studio on Union Avenue and Graceland, James,
son of the Rockabilly legend Laura Lee Perkins, had meet George Klein.

It's better to read it with music !!!
so and for the respect of Laura Lee, Klein, and my friend Imperial,
I propose to heard Malcolm Yelvington will readin' !

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN

J. Kitts & G. Klein - Memphis - May 08

While in vacationing in Memphis to enjoy the legendary “Sun” studio on Union Avenue and Graceland, James, son of the Rockabilly legend Laura Lee Perkins, had meet George Klein.

George, long time friend of Elvis Presley, still does radio broadcasts kindly welcomed him and was glad to have a copy of Laura Lee’s CD “I’m Back and Here We Go”. He still remembered well Lew Chudd, boss of “Imperial” records, and will look for a forthcoming interview of Laura Lee Perkins.

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN Elvis%20(Hillbilly%20scrapbook%201958)

Elvis (Hillbilly scrapbook 1958)

Since Laura Lee Perkins great performance at “Viva Las Vegas” festival on April 11, 2008 things are moving again for that West Virginia, now Michigan resident, kitty who played in the 50’s with Connie Francis and The Everly Brothers to name a few. Later, she rubbed shoulders with Liberace in Nevada doin’ lounge acts and playing her versatile act. She could play guitar, ukulele, drums, and trumpet. She could sing wild rockin’ songs like “Don’t Wait Up”, can move on R’n’B standards like “Kansas City” or can deliver music from the hills like the classic “Mountain Dew”. Back in 1957, when Bill Randle send her demos of “Hound Dog”, “My Babe”, “Remember Me”, “No One Will Ever Know” and “Oh La Baby”, she got offer from Hollywood “Imperial” records and Memphis “Sun” records. She signed with “Imperial” partly because it was Ricky Nelson’s label. “Sun” was then a male dominated label with few females’ exceptions like Jean Chapel or Barbara Pittman. If she had taken Sam Phillips offer, she will probably have her records played by Dewey Phillips on WHBQ, Sleepy Eyed John on WHHM.

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN Elvis%20in%201979

Elvis in 1979

So it’s great to know about Laura Lee Perkins being in contact with George Klein who first meets Elvis at Humes High School, in the 8^th grade, in 1948. Elvis and George graduated from Humes together on June 9^th, 1953. While in high school George was president of his senior class and editor of the yearbook. Through the years, Elvis always referred at him like one of the few guys that was nice to him in school. He was also elected “Most Versatile” in the school’s hall of fame and remembers well Elvis wearing black pants with colour stripes down the sides and sport coat with the collar turned up. George also an aspiring radio personality was hanging out around radio stations, not having the money to go to radio school. He finally found his way like helper for Dewey Phillips trying to make sure he didn’t tear up the radio station equipment. George was MC on Sept 9, 1954 for the new Lamar-Airways Shopping Centre opening in Memphis. That day Elvis played on a Flatbed truck in the parking lot of the shopping centre where was located the Katz Drug Store. George was just back from Osceola (Fl) where he had played Elvis first record on radio that summer.

Invité

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN Jerry%20Lee%20(Hit%20Parader%20June%2058)

Jerry Lee (Hit Parader June 58)

In 1956, George still working on WHBQ, had also a job on KWEM radio in Memphis and on WMC were he hosted “Rock’n’Roll Ballroom”. He always stayed in touch with Elvis and often, when in Memphis, Elvis stopped on the radio station to enjoy a chat with him. You can find a video of them together in September 1956 on WMC radio. When Elvis second LP’s come out in October 1956, he asked to George to bring him that LP ‘cause he hadn’t seen it yet. In December 1956, they will come together to the WDIA Goodwill show at Ellis Auditorium. Around March 1957, being fired by WMC radio, George Klein will join Elvis as travelling companion and will work for him until late 1957 when he joined WHUY radio in Millington (Tn). By the way, as Gladys liked George, she feels more secure knowing him around her son on the road. He was present for the “Jailhouse Rock” recording sessions at Radio Recorder in Hollywood (April/May 57), a bit part in “Jailhouse Rock” and couple of other movies, was with the gang for the Canada tour (April 57) and for the West Coast tour (Aug 57). When Judy Tyler, his movie partner in “Jailhouse Rock” was killed in an automobile crash in July 1957, Elvis went straight to visit George at home to find some support. While back from Germany, in 1960, Elvis ask him to come work again but George was still on radio and don’t wanta leave his job.

Jerry Lee Lewis demo

His Memphis connections lead him to be twice on “Sun” records, the first time being on “The Return of Jerry Lee Lewis”/”Lewis Boogie” (Sun 301) issued as George and Louis in June 1958 after the raucous Jerry Lee’s UK tour. Sam was trying to satirize the situation with a kind of Buchanan and Goodman’s record where he used clip of Jerry Lee records interspersed with George’s questions. But bit like talking about the Queen Elizabeth made that record impossible to be played in the whole Commonwealth. Second time was in 1961, when he cut “U.T. Party I”/”U.T. Party II” (Sun 358) with Roland James, J.M Van Eaton and Charlie Rich.

Laura Lee - Hound Dog demo

Elvis was best man at George’s wedding in 1970 at the Las Vegas Hilton and give him his own ring for his birthday in 1973. Nothing surprising to have George as pallbearer at Elvis’s funeral in August 1977. Since George had given tons of interviews and still host a show dedicated to Elvis every Friday from Graceland for Sirius satellite radio. He does also a weekly radio program, The Elvis Hour with George Klein, on 98.1 FM in Memphis on Sundays at 7:00 AM CDT. He also has a local television program, Memphis Sounds with George Klein, seen on WYPL-TV (Channel 18) Wednesdays at 7:00 PM, Fridays at 4:00 PM and Sundays at 9:30 AM.

Laura Lee on stage

He had collaborate to “Elvis Presley: The Family Album” in 2007 and will have a book titled “Elvis: My Best Man” out in summer 2008. He decided that at his age, he had better go ahead and to do it now."To close I will use George own words: "There never has been and never will be another man like Elvis Presley."

He’s sure right and I am sure than Laura Lee Perkins thinks the same way. She surely got eyes on Elvis in 1956 like every Teenage gal. Ain’t right?

Thanks to Elvis Australia for them work and to the support given to Laura Lee Perkins
by the Australian Rock’n’Roll Appreciation Society.

Dominique “Imperial” ANGLARES

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN Laura%20Lee%20Perkins%20LP

Laura Lee Perkins LP

LAURA LEE PERKINS SON MEET, IN MEMPHIS, GEORGE KLEIN Sun%20studio

Sun studio

Source :
http://www.bartemon.net/dossiers/dossiers.php?val=268_laura+lee+perkins+son+meet+in+memphis+george+klein+

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