Haley was blinded in his left eye as a child due to a botched operation. According to biographer John Swenson, Haley later adopted his distinctive spit-curl hairstyle to distract attention from his blind eye. The spit-curl caught on as a 50's style signature, although Haley and others had worn the hairstyle much earlier.
In 1946, Haley joined his first professional group, a Pennsylvania-based western swing band called The Down Homers run by Kenny Roberts. It has often been reported in musical reference works that Haley's first professional recordings were made with the Down Homers on a pair of singles released in 1946 by Vogue Records. This was later debunked by Roberts and others, stating Haley had already left the group by the time the singles were made. In the early 2000s, however, a set of 1946 radio recordings by the Down Homers were discovered and Haley is definitely present as he is identified by name and sings a solo number "She Taught Me to Yodel"; these recordings were commercially released for the first time in 2006.
After gaining experience with the Down Homers, Haley set out on his own, forming several groups such as the Range Drifters and the Four Aces of Western Swing. With the Four Aces, he made a number of regionally successful country music singles in the late 1940s for Cowboy Records while working as a touring musician and later a radio DJ at WPWA. (Many of Haley's early recordings from this period would not be released until after his death.) After disbanding the Four Aces and briefly trying a solo career using the names Jack Haley and Johnny Clifton (as chronicled in the biography Sound and Glory), Haley formed a new group called The Saddlemen in either 1949 or 1950 (sources vary as to the exact year); this new group recorded for several labels, including one single for Atlantic Records, Haley's first exposure to a major national record company. In 1951, Haley was signed to Dave Miller's Philadelphia-based Holiday Records and began to change musical styles, recording cover versions of "Rocket "88"" (previously recorded by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats), and in, 1952, "Rock the Joint", previously recorded by several bands including Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians. (By the time of "Rock the Joint", Haley had graduated from Holiday Records to Miller's larger Essex label.) The relative success of these recordings (both sold in the 75,000-100,000 copy range in the Pennsylvania-New England region) convinced Haley that his new and as-yet officially unnamed hybrid of country and rhythm and blues could be a commercial success.and some of his family lives in oklahoma and there is a road named after his family.
Abc Boogie
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Children learn their lessons and the golden rule
'Cause they got a teacher up from Basin Street
And she does her teaching with a boogie beat
Teaching the ABC with rhythm and E
Every single morning, it's the same old thing
All the kids are waiting for the bell to ring
When they hear it ringing, they all jump in line
They learn their ABC with rhythm and E
Well, a-reading, writing, arithmetic
Taught to the tune of a liquorice stick
No education is ever complete
Without a boogie-woogie-woogie beat, well all reet
When the day is over and it's time to go
The children get their books and stand right at the door
Teacher is so happy, because she's done her bit
To educate the kids and make 'em really fit
To say their ABC with rhythm and E
Well, a-reading, writing, arithmetic
Taught to the tune of a liquorice stick
No education is ever complete
Without a boogie-woogie-woogie beat, well all reet
When the day is over and it's time to go
The children get their books and stand right at the door
Teacher is so happy, because she's done her bit
To educate the kids and make 'em really fit
To say their ABC with rhythm and E
The lyrics of Bill Haley's "ABC Boogie" celebrate the joy of learning in a fun and upbeat way. The song describes a little school where children eagerly await their lessons taught by a teacher from Basin Street. The teacher uses a boogie beat to teach the students the alphabet and other subjects, making learning a fun and enjoyable experience for them. The rhythm and beat are essential to the learning process, and the children learn reading, writing, and arithmetic with fervor. The day ends with the students standing at the door, ready to go home, feeling proud of what they have learned.
The song reflects the essence of the Rock and Roll era, where music was a vital part of everyday life. "ABC Boogie" was released in 1955 and became one of the classic Rock and Roll anthems of the era. Bill Haley and his Comets popularized the music genre, and this song is one of their most well-known tracks. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy chorus reflect the optimism of the time, and the lyrics reflect the hopes for a better future through education.
Line by Line Meaning
Down around the corner in a little school
The location of the school being referred to is just around the corner
Children learn their lessons and the golden rule
The children at the school are learning both their academic lessons as well as important life lessons
'Cause they got a teacher up from Basin Street
The teacher who has come to teach at the school is from Basin Street
And she does her teaching with a boogie beat
The teacher uses music with a lively rhythm in her teaching methods
Teaching the ABC with rhythm and E
The teacher uses a lively and rhythmic method to teach the alphabet, including the letter 'E'
Every single morning, it's the same old thing
The school follows a regular routine each morning
All the kids are waiting for the bell to ring
The children eagerly anticipate the start of their school day
When they hear it ringing, they all jump in line
Upon hearing the school bell, the kids immediately get into their designated lines
Walking to the classroom, feeling mighty fine
The children are excited to walk with energy and positive emotions towards their classroom
They learn their ABC with rhythm and E
The children learn the alphabet in a lively way, keeping rhythm and including the letter 'E'
Well, a-reading, writing, arithmetic
The three important subjects of reading, writing, and math are being taught
Taught to the tune of a liquorice stick
The lessons are taught with the accompaniment of a licorice stick, a type of woodwind musical instrument
No education is ever complete
No one can ever stop learning
Without a boogie-woogie-woogie beat, well all reet
Education is enhanced when accompanied by lively music and beats
When the day is over and it's time to go
Once the school day is over and it's time to leave for the day
The children get their books and stand right at the door
The children gather their belongings and stand by the door, ready to leave the school
Teacher is so happy, because she's done her bit
The teacher is pleased with her work, having completed her responsibilities for the day
To educate the kids and make 'em really fit
The teacher's goal is to educate the children and ensure that they are truly prepared
To say their ABC with rhythm and E
Teaching the children the alphabet with lively music and by including the letter E is one of the teacher's objectives
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: RUSSELL, SPICKOL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bones9498
LEGAND 💪😎❤️
@chrisjones301976
Me and My Son love this song!
@chrisjones301976
He is 6 months old hehe.
@rocknrollborn1952
This song is played by Danny Cedrone on guitar.
@burlingtonbill1
Have this exact 45 handed down from an older cousin. I like this "B" side even better than the very-famous "A" side, "Rock Around The Clock."
@miriamkinwat4310
I love kuwait!
@pjriverdale8461
"Well All Reet!" sung by Frank Beecher.......