Home · Artists · Bill Haley and His Comets

Chester, United States · 1947–1981–1981–present as the ''Comets'' or ''Bill Haley's Comets''

Bill Haley and His Comets

Bill Haley did not invent rock and roll, but he helped the world hear it. His sound came from country music and the blues, but when he recorded Rocket 88 in 1951 —a country version of an Ike Turner song— something changed. The piano riff and the fast-paced drums no longer sounded like what was playing on the radios of the time. It wasn’t the first song to move like that, but it was one of the first to cross borders: first in Philadelphia, then across the entire United States. Haley wasn’t trying to break rules; he just wanted his music to sound fresh. And it worked.

In 1954, the group —which at the time went by the name Bill Haley and the Saddlemen— had a new name: Bill Haley and His Comets. The change wasn’t just a label. The band adjusted its energy to fit a rhythm that was no longer country, but something more direct. Crazy Man, Crazy and Rock the Joint came before Rock Around the Clock, but it was the latter that stuck. The song didn’t start as a hit: in its first months, it didn’t even reach the top spots. Then, in 1955, DJ Alan Freed used it in a movie, and the song exploded. By 1956, it had been at number one on the charts for months.

Country Rock and roll rockabilly western swing 1950s
1 Albums

1 album|s · 1956

Full discography

Rock Around the Clock 1956

Rock Around the Clock

Country

Details, awards, members and more

More about Bill Haley and His Comets

Biography

What’s curious is that, as Haley and his Comets rose to fame, other artists like Elvis Presley and Little Richard arrived with a bolder style. Haley remained the same: with his curl on his forehead and his elegant suits, but young audiences no longer saw him as a rebel. In Europe, however, the band maintained its popularity. Years later, in the 70s, Haley returned to the stage as an icon of another era, playing for crowds eager to relive those early years of rock. When he died in 1981, he left behind not only songs, but a band that, like him, remained alive in different groups that adopted the name Comets. Today, more than forty years later, four of those ensembles are still on tour.

Details

Born
1 Nov 1952
Country
🇺🇸 United States
Genre
Country

Members

eponymous, founder · 1949–1981
Bill Haley
· 1949–1981
William F. ‘Billy’ Williamson
· 1955–1975
Rudy Pompilli
· 1949–1962
Johnny Grande
· 1954–1962
Francis 'Franny' Beecher
· 1955–1960
Ralph Jones
· 1951–1955
Billy Gussak
double bass · 1951–1955
Marshall Lytle
· 1951–1954
Danny Cedrone
· 1955–1958
Al Rex
· 1953–1955
Joey D'Ambrosio
· 1958–1959
Al Pompilli

Record labels

Decca Records Decca Brunswick Records Brunswick (UK) Atlantic Records Atlantic Keystone Cowboy Records Cowboy Holiday Records Holiday Essex Records Essex Warner Bros. Records Warner Bros. Orfeón Dimsa Records Dimsa Newtown Guest Star Logo Records Logo APT Gone Records Gone United Artists Records United Artists Roulette Records Roulette Sonet Records Sonet Buddah Records Buddah AnticLondon (UK)

Links

Spotify Official site Wikipedia