Carl Perkins
A rockabilly architect whose 'Blue Suede Shoes' became a primal anthem for Elvis, the Beatles, and rock and roll itself.
1932–1998 (age 66)·American guitarist·Birthday: April 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Carl Perkins emerged from the cotton fields of Tennessee with a sound that was equal parts country weep and rhythmic freight train. At Sun Records, he, alongside Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, forged the bedrock of rockabilly. His 1955 composition 'Blue Suede Shoes' was a landmark, a swaggering declaration of individuality that became a crossover smash. A devastating car accident stalled his own meteoric rise just as Elvis's cover of the song shot to number one, a twist of fate that relegated Perkins to a behind-the-scenes influence for years. He found later-life reverence as a touring artist and songwriter, his fingerprints indelibly etched on the DNA of rock and roll through covers by The Beatles and countless others who learned their licks from his Telecaster.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Carl was born in 1932, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1932
#1 Movie
Grand Hotel
Best Picture
Grand Hotel
Carl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1932Born
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1937Started school
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1945Became a teenager
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1948Could drive
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1950Could vote
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Turned 21
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1962Turned 30
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1972Turned 40
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1982Turned 50
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1992Turned 60
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1998Died at 66
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Wrote and recorded the original version of 'Blue Suede Shoes,' a seminal rock and roll standard.
- Was a pivotal member of the Sun Records roster, the foundational label for rock and roll.
- The Beatles recorded several of his songs, including 'Honey Don't,' 'Matchbox,' and 'Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby.'
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Did You Know?
He taught Johnny Cash the famous 'boom-chicka-boom' guitar rhythm.
He was in the hospital recovering from his car accident the day 'Blue Suede Shoes' hit number one on the charts.
He performed 'Blue Suede Shoes' on an episode of 'The Johnny Cash Show' with both Cash and Elvis Presley (via satellite).
His song 'Daddy Sang Bass' became a number one country hit for Johnny Cash in 1969.
“Rock 'n' roll is a music. It's played from the heart, it's played with feeling.”
