Billy Lee Riley biography
Date of birth : 1933-10-05
Date of death : 2009-08-02
Birthplace : Pocahontas, Arkansas, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Arts and Entertainment
Last modified : 2011-03-10
Credited as : Country music singer, One More Time, Red Hot
0 votes so far
Billy Lee Riley is a rockabilly singer and multi-instrumentalist. An alumnus of Sun Records, he was one of the most crazed, unabashed rockers that label had to offer -- in the company of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Sonny Burgess, that's saying a lot. Proficient at harmonica, guitar, bass, and drums, Riley contributed as a sideman to many a classic Sun session, and his combo, the Little Green Men (most notably guitarist Roland Janes and drummer J.M. Van Eaton), in time became the Sun house band. Riley recorded for a number of labels in a variety of styles, especially effective with blues. Though never commercially successful, Riley's Sun recordings of "Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll" and "Red Hot" (both covered in wooden renditions by Robert Gordon) remain landmarks of the genre.
Selected albums:
* Harmonica & the Blues, Crown, 1962.
* Big Harmonica Special, Mercury, 1964.
* Harmonica Beatlemania, Mercury, 1965.
* Whiskey a Go Go Presents, Mercury, 1965.
* Funk Harmonica, GNP, 1966.
* In Action, GNP, 1966.
* Southern Soul, Mojo, 1968; reissued, Cowboy Carl, 1981.
* Legendary Sun Performers: Billy Lee, Charly, 1977.
* Sun Sound Special: Billy Lee Riley, Charly, 1978.
* Vintage, Mojo, 1978.
* 706 Reunion, Sun-Up, 1992.
* Blue Collar Blues, Hightone, 1992.
* Classic Recordings 1959-1960, Bear Family, 1994.
* Rockin' Fifties, Icehouse, 1995.
* Hot Damn!, Capricorn, 1997.
* Very Best of Billy Lee Riley: Red Hot, Collectables, 1998.
* Shade Tree Blues, Icehouse, 1999.
* One More Time, Sun-Up, 2002.
* Hillbilly Rockin' Man, Reba Records, 2003
