His two biggest hit singles, both written and performed by him, were "Seventeen" with his band, the Rockets (U.S. No. 5); and "My Boy, Flat Top" (U.S. No. 39). "Seventeen" reached No. 16 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1955. He later became a disc jockey in Kentucky. He also worked with Francis Craig and Moon Mullican.
Bennett was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame for his contribution to the genre.
Boyd Byron Bennett was born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, United States, but attended high school in Tennessee and formed his first band there. He grew up in North Davidson, Tennessee, just outside Nashville. His family was musically oriented and talented. His grandfather taught members of churches within the community how to read music. He also taught Boyd by the age of four years how to read the notes in music, before Boyd could actually read song lyrics. Growing up during the Great Depression, Bennett did anything he could to make money. He sang in quartets and played guitar and sang outside of bars for extra funds. At the age of 16, however, his career was interrupted by World War II in which he served for four years; and in his free time perfected his playing of the guitar. During the early 1950s, Boyd Bennett and his Southlanders performed at local dances and on variety TV shows.
In 1952, while working at WAVE (TV), Boyd came up with the idea of a musical variety show called Boyd Bennett and His Space Buddies. For Foster Brooks, this was his first break in show business. The show was a take off of the Gene Autry Show. Instead of singing cowboys, it was singing space cadets. The humor, music, and originality made the show a hit with local fans. The owner of the station was not so far-sighted and the show was canceled after seven editions. The next couple of years they performed at numerous dances and shows in the Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio area.
Boyd and his group played in the Rustic Ballroom in Jasper, Indiana on a regular basis for a number of years. Renamed as Boyd Bennett and His Rockets, they came to the attention of Syd Nathan, owner of King Records. They released a couple of country tracks, "Time" and "Hopeless Case". In 1955, Boyd created a new sound while playing the drums, during a number of recording sessions with such musicians as Earl Bostic, Bill Doggett, and Otis Williams and the Charms. He began to experiment with songs that would appeal to teenagers. Boyd and his band rented the King Record's studio to record "Poison Ivy", "You Upset Me Baby" and "Boogie at Midnight". When sales topped 100,000 copies, singles were then re-released under King Records. They then signed Boyd to a recording contract. In 1955, Boyd Bennett and His Rockets recorded "Seventeen."
It reached the Billboard chart in June and went to the number five by September. Boyd and the Rockets traveled across the nation, performing their hit. There were also several cover versions recorded that extended the release of the song. These included fellow chart efforts by the Fontane Sisters and Rusty Draper. Boyd and his band followed "Seventeen" with the "My Boy Flat Top" which reached the Top 40 for a number of months, although a lesser seller than their earlier effort. Boyd also worked as a disc jockey in 1955 in Louisville, Kentucky. In March 1956, Boyd's group released their cover version of "Blue Suede Shoes."
In 1959, Bennett left King Records and commenced a subsequent brief recording career with Mercury. Noting that he was drifting away from a teenage audience, he left the music industry and built up his business interests, which included owning nightclubs and an air-conditioning parts manufacturer. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bennett had health issues with both lymphoma and pulmonary fibrosis. He retired in Dallas, although he made infrequent concert appearances, often with Ray Price.
Bennett was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame just before his death, from a lung ailment in June 2002.
Seventeen
Boyd Bennett & His Rockets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cool and solid seventeen
Young enough to dance and sing
Old enough to get that swing
Past sixteen, just been kissed
Graduated and got that twist
Kind of love I can''t resist
At seventeen
Now, sloppy shirt, old blue jeans
Dirty shoes by all means
Patch of blonde, peroxide hair
Jukebox baby, ain''t no square
Seventeen, hot rod queen
Cutest girl you''ve ever seen
Tell the world I''m really keen
On my hepcat doll of seventeen
The song "Seventeen" by Boyd Bennett & His Rockets is a classic example of a rock and roll song that celebrates the charms of being young and living life with exuberance. In the song, the singer extols the virtues of being 17 years old, which is the perfect age when someone is old enough to have fun and yet young enough to take risks. The lyrics talk about how being 17 is the time to dance, sing and get that swing, which means that someone is at the peak of their youthfulness.
The song also talks about the experiences of a boy who has just graduated and got his first kiss. He is in love with his girl, who is cool and solid and has peroxide blonde hair. The singer uses a language of 'hepcat' and 'square' to describe his girl's attributes, which were the buzzwords of that era. The singer calls his girl a 'hot rod queen' and the cutest girl in the town, who makes him feel really keen.
Overall, the song is a perfect example of the upbeat and energetic rock and roll style that celebrated youth, exuberance, and the freedom to have fun without worrying about the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Seventeen, seventeen
The singer is singing about the age of seventeen
Cool and solid seventeen
The singer is describing himself as a cool, well-grounded seventeen-year-old
Young enough to dance and sing
The singer is describing his youthful spirit and energy, that makes him able to dance and sing
Old enough to get that swing
The artist is describing his maturity, that allows him to enjoy and understand the music genre of swing
Past sixteen, just been kissed
The artist just passed the age of sixteen, and experienced his first kiss
Graduated and got that twist
The singer graduated from high school and mastered the dance move of 'the twist'
Kind of love I can't resist
The singer is singing about his infatuation with a particular girl
At seventeen
The artist is restating his current age of seventeen
Now, sloppy shirt, old blue jeans
The artist is describing his casual style of clothing, consisting of a loose shirt and worn-out blue jeans
Dirty shoes by all means
The artist is unapologetic about his untidy shoes
Patch of blonde, peroxide hair
The singer is describing his blonde hair that was treated with peroxide for a lighter shade
Jukebox baby, ain't no square
The artist is declaring his love for rock and roll music and that he's not a boring person
Seventeen, hot rod queen
The singer is now referring to his love interest as a hotrod queen, at the age of seventeen
Cutest girl you've ever seen
The singer is describing his love interest as the most attractive girl he's ever seen
Tell the world I'm really keen
The singer is expressing his strong enthusiasm and fondness for his love interest
On my hepcat doll of seventeen
The artist is now calling his love interest his 'hepcat doll', using 50s slang to describe her at the age of seventeen
Lyrics Β© CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOYD B BENNETT, JOHN F. JR. YOUNG, CHUCK GORMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MichaelGushue-tl8xd
Rock N Roll was heating up when this song made the chart in 1955.
@rosemariekury9186
Havenβt heard this for years! Thanks for the upload!
@leonardmartinez6233
Great song from the Old America. It was good to be alive. Then.
@muffs55mercury61
Rock and roll had arrived but at this point it wasn't known if it was here to stay yet.
@josephleardi6952
I always heard this song in my head but the lyrics escaped me, thanks for the replay.
@samoyo7054
Top 20 of Saturday 17 December 1955
@askovarjorinne9074
Ooh that seventiin now she 70 and I love him!!! πππ’
@markfarrell4733
Bumbles Club..Wood Green ,London N22 Rockabilly club,1978/79,.I was 16..Fifties Flash DJ..I remember getting to the top of the stairs leading down to the dancefloor and this blasting out,and the dancefloor filling with Jivers, and I thought,yeah..I've found my tribe and vibe .
@earldwire2718
has that Bill Haley backup sound
@user-vm4gv3xv6e
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