Roy Hall (musician)
Roy Hall | |
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 Roy Hall in 1955. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Faye Hall |
| Also known as | Sunny David |
| Born | May 7, 1922 Big Stone Gap, Virginia, United States |
| Died | March 3, 1984 (aged 61) Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) |
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| Years active | Early 1930s–1984 |
| Labels | |
James Faye "Roy" Hall (May 7, 1922 – March 3, 1984), also known by his pseudonym "Sunny David", was an American rockabilly pianist and songwriter. Hall was an uncredited co-writer of the rockabilly classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", a song recorded by Hall himself and later popularized by Jerry Lee Lewis. Although his writing claim was initially disputed, later reissues of the song credit Hall for his role in its conception.
Biography
Hall was born in
While working for a sibling group called the Hall Brothers, the third brother, Roy Hall, died in a car accident in 1943.
However, the group could not sustain itself, and in 1950 Hall moved to Nashville to record two solo singles for Bullet Records and another for Tennessee Records in 1951; the releases were commercially unsuccessful. He then opened a music and gambling club called the Music Box, later renamed the Musicians' Hideaway, where he was a regular performer.[4][2] Hall claimed that Elvis Presley performed there one night in 1954, but Hall fired him because "he weren't no damn good." He also claimed that, in the same year, Jerry Lee Lewis played there for several weeks.[2]
Between 1954 and 1955, Hall recorded with
Hall's Decca sessions were produced by Paul Cohen, who had supervised Buddy Holly's early Nashville recordings; Cohen used top studio musicians for both Hall and Holly. Perhaps the most familiar of Roy Hall's Decca records is the rockabilly number "Three Alley Cats." Hall's recording contract with Decca concluded in 1956 with no sizable hit, as a consequence of ineffective promotion.
Jerry Lee Lewis achieved a number 3 hit in 1957 with "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", instantly launching him into national prominence.
On March 3, 1984, Hall died at the age of 61 in Nashville, not long after releasing his debut album Diggin' the Boogie. In 2005, Bear Family Records released the compilation album Roy Rocks, which compiles all of Hall's released material.[8]
References
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Roy Hall – Roy Rocks". AllMusic. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-436-53203-4.
- ^ a b Eder, Bruce. "Roy Hall – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "Roy Hall, Pumpin' and Drinkin'". rockabilly.nl. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ "Roy Hall, Three Alley Cats". rockabillyromp.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Roy Rocks (CD booklet)". Bear Family Records. 2005.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ "Roy Hall: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (1955)". elsewhere.co.nz. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ Eder, Bruce. "Roy Rocks – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
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