Bill Black, Elvis and so much more…
Bill Black, Elvis and so much more. He was with Elvis on all five Sun singles. He then went on to form his own band, The Bill Black Combo.
Hear Elvis Presley Unravelled #74
…..Bill Black, Elvis and so much more
On Steve Chelmsford’s Mop Tops and The King radio show
syndicated on over 100 radio stations around the world.
Broadcast: 26 April to 2 May 2024
world-wide schedule
Bill Black, slap-bass legend
Bass player Bill Black was born in Memphis, Tennessee on 17 September 1926.
Before working with Elvis, Bill Black and guitarist Scotty Moore were with Doug Poindexter and the Starlite Wranglers.
On 5 July 1954 Elvis, Scotty and Bill had their first recording session at Sun Records, to record That’s All Right.
Shortly afterwards Scotty, Bill and Elvis formed the Blue Moon Boys for live performances.
By January 1956 Elvis had moved to RCA, Bill was with him in the studio to record Heartbreak Hotel.
Bill was also with Elvis when he made his first national TV appearance on The Dorsey Brothers’ Stage Show. 28 January 1956.
When Elvis played his last gig outside of America, in Vancouver, Canada on 31 August 1957, The Bill Black Combo was credited on the concert poster.
On 24 March 1958, Elvis Presley was inducted into the US Army. Bill Black never played with Elvis after he came out of the Army.
After Elvis
Between 1959 and 1962, the Bill Black Combo scored eight hit singles on Billboard’s Top-40 and four hits on their R&B chart, including two #1s.
By 1962 Bill’s health was deteriorating, he stopped touring but the band continued on.
Also in 1962, Bill Black opened Lyn-Lou studios in Memphis and Billboard Music Week awarded them the Most Played Instrumental Group.
Sadly, on 21 October 1965 Bill Black died of a brain tumour.
Hear the segment again
Elvis Presley Unravelled #74
Bill Black, Elvis and so much more…
Mop Tops and The King radio show
Twice a month, Derek Shelmerdine contributes the Elvis Presley Unravelled and The Beatles Unravelled segments for Steve Chelmsford’s Mop Tops and The King radio show. The show is dedicated to the lives and times of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
See the complete list of Derek’s Beatles and Elvis Unravelled segments.
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled – the book
Derek Shelmerdine also wrote Rock’n’Roll Unravelled, the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to late 1970s punk. Not just the story of the music but also the external factors influencing it, such as the Vietnam War and Civil Rights struggle.
