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.
Football Rock and Roll
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, when the saints (well, when the saints)
Go marching' in (go marchin' in)
Yeah, when the saints
Go marching' in
Well, Lord, I want want to be in that number
When the saints go marching' in
Yeah, now when Rudy (now when Rudy)
Begins to blow (begins to blow)
Yeah, when Rudy (yeah, when Rudy)
Blows his horns (blow his horns)
Well I want want to be in that number (ah)
Well, when Rudy
Blows his horns
Yeah, now, when Johnny (now, when Johnny)
Begins to wail (begins to wail)
Yeah, when it rains he starts to wail (starts to wail)
Lord, I want want to be in that number (ah)
Well, when Johnny
Comes wailing in
Well, when the saints (when the saints)
Go marching' in (go marchin' in)
Yeah, when the saints (when the saints)
Go marching' in (go marchin' in)
Lord, I want want to be in that number
When the saints go marching' in
When the saints go marching in
The song 'The Saints Rock and Roll' is an updated version of an old gospel tune 'When the Saints Go Marching In' and it serves as a bridge between rockabilly and gospel music. Bill Haley & His Comets added the lyrics 'the saints rock and roll' to the original song and replaced the traditional brass instruments with Haley's signature electric guitar riffs, creating a new sound in the process. The song has a catchy beat, featuring upbeat saxophone solos, and is about wanting to be among the number of saints when they go marching in.
The lyrics suggest a strong desire to be a part of a holy and positive community. The song mentions that when Rudy blows his horn and Johnny starts to wail, one would want to be in that number. Rudy refers to Rudy Pompilli, Haley's saxophone player, and Johnny likely refers to Johnny Grande, Haley's pianist. The references to these band members signify the importance of musical unity and the desire to be a part of a righteous community. The lyrics also allude to a spiritual journey and a hope for salvation, conveying a strong desire to be a part of something greater and more significant.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, when the saints (well, when the saints)
The singer is excitedly anticipating the arrival of the saints.
Go marching' in (go marchin' in)
The saints are making a grand entrance.
Yeah, when the saints
Go marching' in
The singer repeats their excitement for the arrival of the saints.
Well, Lord, I want want to be in that number
When the saints go marching' in
The artist expresses their desire to be among the saints when they arrive.
Yeah, now when Rudy (now when Rudy)
The focus now shifts to Rudy, possibly a musician.
Begins to blow (begins to blow)
Rudy is beginning to play his horn.
Yeah, when Rudy (yeah, when Rudy)
The singer is eagerly awaiting Rudy's performance.
Blows his horns (blow his horns)
Rudy is playing multiple notes on his horn.
Well I want want to be in that number (ah)
The artist expresses their desire to be among Rudy's audience.
Well, when Rudy
Blows his horns
The artist repeats their excitement for Rudy's performance.
Yeah, now, when Johnny (now, when Johnny)
The focus now shifts to Johnny, another musician.
Begins to wail (begins to wail)
Johnny starts to play his instrument passionately.
Yeah, when it rains he starts to wail (starts to wail)
Even the gloomy weather can't stop Johnny from playing passionately.
Lord, I want want to be in that number (ah)
The singer expresses their desire to be among Johnny's audience.
Well, when Johnny
Comes wailing in
The singer repeats their excitement for Johnny's performance.
Well, when the saints (when the saints)
The focus now shifts back to the arrival of the saints.
Go marching' in (go marchin' in)
The saints continue to make a grand entrance.
Yeah, when the saints (when the saints)
The excitement for the arrival of the saints is reiterated.
Go marching' in (go marchin' in)
The saints continue their grand entrance.
Lord, I want want to be in that number
When the saints go marching' in
The artist repeats their desire to be among the saints.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Haley, Milt Gabler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
germanico
BILL HALEY....RIP. 2020 MARZO.✌️✌️🙋🙋
jojorobino5312
Well it seems to me that Milt never did anything with it. Unfortunately.
Brian Vail
not quite as catchy as Rock Around The Clock
Uthmaan Pacsa
Oh Brian you're just not into football. Of course it's a great song.