- published: 02 Nov 2015
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William Patton "Bill" Black, Jr. (September 17, 1926 – October 21, 1965) was an American musician who is noted as one of the pioneers of rockabilly music. Black was the bassist in Elvis Presley's early trio and the leader of Bill Black's Combo.
Black was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to a motorman for the Memphis Street Railway. He was the oldest of nine children His father played popular songs on the banjo and fiddle to entertain the family. Black learned to play music at the age of 14 on an instrument made by his father—a cigar box with a board nailed to it and strings attached. At the age of sixteen, Black was performing "honky-tonk" music on acoustic guitar in local bars.
During World War II, Black was stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Lee in Virginia. While in the Army, he met Evelyn, who played guitar as the member of a musical family. They married in 1946 and returned to Memphis. Black worked at the Firestone plant.
Black began playing the upright bass fiddle. He modeled his "slap bass" technique after one of his idols, Fred Maddox of Maddox Brothers and Rose. Black also developed a "stage clown" persona in the same way that Maddox entertained audiences. Black performed as an exaggerated hillbilly with blacked-out teeth, straw hat and overalls. According to his son, Black said his goal was always to give his audience "a few moments of entertainment and maybe a little bit of humor that'll tickle 'em for a while."
Actors: Brent Brooks (actor), Stephanie Stevens (actress), Stephanie Stevens (writer), Stephanie Stevens (producer), Jim Adams (actor), Chris Braz (editor), Chris Braz (producer), Chris Braz (writer), Chris Braz (director), Shannon Alexander (actress), Chris McCorkel (actor), Tam Songdog (actress), Tam Songdog (actress), Daniel Martin (actor), Camryn Robinson (actor),
Genres: Short,Actors: Andrew Adams (editor), Andrew Adams (producer), Sean Beeson (composer), Brian Scott Hunt (actor), Cole Timms (actor), Ben Adams (director), Joshua Cavazos (actor), Reese Arrington (actor),
Genres: Drama, Short,Actors: Wade Couturiaux (director), Wade Couturiaux (producer), Wade Couturiaux (writer), Lorraine Eubank (actress), Shaun Hamill (writer), Shaun Hamill (producer), Shaun Hamill (actor), Jill Deramus (actress), Jacob Clifton (writer), Jacob Clifton (producer), Walter Coots (editor), Walter Coots (producer), Jay Staton (composer), Brian Fratto (actor), Jessica Hamilton (producer),
Genres: Short, Thriller,Actors: Melissa Caudle (actress), Camryn Manheim (actress), Robert Patrick (actor), Randy Quaid (actor), Codie Scott (actor), Cynthia LeBlanc (actress), Ritchie Montgomery (actor), Tim Guinee (actor), Douglas M. Griffin (actor), John McConnell (actor), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (actor), Danny Nelson (actor), Elton LeBlanc (actor), Howard Braunstein (producer), Rose McGowan (actress),
Genres: Biography, Drama, Music,Actors: Aaron Webster (actor), Groucho Marx (actor), Ed Sullivan (actor), Norman Taurog (actor), Bob Hope (actor), Steve Allen (actor), Phil Silvers (actor), Elvis Presley (actor), Frank Sinatra (actor), George Hamilton (actor), Sammy Davis Jr. (actor), Milton Berle (actor), Cary Grant (actor), Barbara Stanwyck (actress), Hedda Hopper (actress),
Plot: Though several actors portray Elvis Presley at different stages of his life, this documentary is comprised mostly of actual performance footage and interviews with Elvis, his fans and those close to him. His arrival on the national scene ,in 1956, is highlighted by clips from "Stage Show", "The Milton Berle Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show". Scenes from several of his 33 films are highlighted including his screen debut in "Love Me Tender" (1956) and the critically acclaimed "King "Creole"(1958), his last film prior to a 2 year hitch in the military. From 1960-68 he kept busy by making films and soundtrack albums, as well as some Gospal albums. After an absence of almost 9 years from live performing, Elvis returned in 1968 to do a TV Special titled "Elvis" and in 1969 performed in Las Vegas for the first time since 1956. His Vegas appearances, along with his nation wide concert tours, continued for the remainder of his career. A clip from his 1973 TV Special,"Elvis Aloa", is featured. Telecast from Hawaii, it was the first concert to be televised live by satellite around the world.We also see footage from his last TV Special, "Elvis in Concert", which was taken from his final 1977 tour.
Keywords: 1950s, actor, blues-music, camera, character-name-in-title, church, classroom, concert, death, disc-jockeyActors: Christopher Holmes (editor), John Carpenter (director), Helen Kelly (actress), Dick Clark (producer), Peter Hobbs (actor), Jimmy Williams (actor), Bing Russell (actor), Kurt Russell (actor), Charles Cyphers (actor), Shelley Winters (actress), Ed Begley Jr. (actor), Joe Mantegna (actor), Pat Hingle (actor), Dody Dorn (miscellaneous crew), Larry Pennell (actor),
Genres: Biography, Drama, Music,Actors: Aldo Silvani (actor), Erminio Spalla (actor), Giuseppe Porelli (actor), Luigi Pavese (actor), Guglielmo Sinaz (actor), Amedeo Nazzari (actor), Gianni Musy (actor), Giovanni Grasso (actor), Angelo Dessy (actor), Mino Doro (actor), Luigi Almirante (actor), Amilcare Pettinelli (actor), Massimo Girotti (actor), Enrico Glori (actor), Amedeo Trilli (actor),
Genres: ,