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.
Is It True What They Say About Dixie?
Bill Haley Lyrics
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Does the sun really shine all the time
Do the sweet magnolias blossom at everybody's door
Do the folks keep eating possum til they can't eat no more
Is it true what they say about Swanny
Is a dream by the stream so sublime
Do they laugh do they love like they say in every song
Is it true what they say about Dixie
Does the sun really shine all the time
Well do the sweet magnolias blossom at everybody's door
Do the folks keep eating that possum til they can't eat no more
Is it true what they say about Swanny
Is a dream by the stream so sublime
Do they laugh love like they say in every song
If it's true that's where I belong
The song "Is It True What They Say About Dixie?" is a nostalgic look at the mythic South of the United States, where everything is idyllic and people live in a never-ending state of sunshine and happiness. The lyrics ask if it's true if the sun always shines in Dixie and if there are sweet magnolias blooming at every doorstep. It paints a picture of a land where people love, laugh and eat possum.
There is an irony in the song that makes the listener wonder whether these stories about Dixie are just stereotypes. While the lyrics are buoyant and hopeful and seem to long for a return to the South, they also reveal a wariness about the accuracy of these tales. The song's narrator states that "If it's true that's where I belong," implying that maybe it's not true, and that makes the listener curious about what they're missing.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it true what they say about Dixie
I wonder if the things people say about Dixie are actually true
Does the sun really shine all the time
Is it true that Dixie has sunshine all the time?
Do the sweet magnolias blossom at everybody's door
Are magnolias a common sight outside everyone's door in Dixie?
Do the folks keep eating possum til they can't eat no more
Do people really eat possum so much that they can't eat anymore in Dixie?
Is it true what they say about Swanny
I wonder if the stories about Swanny are actually accurate
Is a dream by the stream so sublime
Is it really amazing to dream by the stream in Swanny?
Do they laugh do they love like they say in every song
Is it true that the people in Swanny are as happy and loving as they are portrayed in songs?
If it's true that's where I belong
If the rumors about Dixie and Swanny are actually true, then that's where I want to be
Contributed by Aaliyah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Barry Hossin
I've seen Bill haley twice , fantastic.
Bravely Forward
im here for my mother :v
Marty livell
Dean martin tune
J G Newbon
Goes back WAYYYY before Deano!!!