‍He was the King of Rockabilly, and one of rock and roll’s true pioneers. A groundbreaking guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Carl Perkins inspired countless musicians in country, rock, and pop music. His influence is enormous. As Paul McCartney said, “If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles.” One Beatle was such a fan that he gave himself the stage name Carl Harrison. Now acclaimed music writer Jeff Apter recounts Carl Perkins’s remarkable life story, the triumphs, tragedies, and career highlights that include some of the most pivotal moments in music history.

Born in Tennessee to poor sharecroppers, Carl grew up listening to gospel and country music, learned blues guitar from a fellow field hand, and started writing songs at age fourteen. He plied his trade in rough and rowdy honky-tonks performing with his brothers before beginning his recording career at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis. It was there that Carl became a member of the fabled “Million Dollar Quartet,” alongside Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1955 he wrote and recorded “Blue Suede Shoes,” the first record by a Sun artist to sell over a million copies. But then a fateful car crash stalled his career, one of many tragedies in Carl’s life.

Over the following decades, Presley, Cash, and countless other artists from The Beatles, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix performed and recorded his songs and became Carl’s friends, collaborators, and champions. Rich with insider detail and background into Carl’s private battles, humanitarian work, and personal inspirations, this is a fascinating, in-depth look at “Mr. Blue Suede Shoes” and his one-of-a-kind legacy.

‍

Praise for Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly

‍“This fine biography really does justice to Mr. Blue Suede Shoes!” —Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats

‍“Jeff Apter has succeeded in bringing Carl Perkins to life—not only as a rock and roll pioneer, but as a father, brother, friend, and colleague. In moving prose, Apter tells us about Carl’s dirt-poor childhood, his struggle for fame, and his close friendships with Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and, especially, Johnny Cash. Apter practically brings us to tears as we see the Beatles, Carl’s biggest fans, introduce him to a new generation of listeners. This is an essential book for fans of rock and its history.” —Elizabeth J. Rosenthal, author of His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John and The Master of Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World

‍“If Elvis Presley was the voice, Carl Perkins was the sound. Not since Nick Tosches’s Hellfire has a book on rock ’n’ roll’s wildest ancestors been laid as bare or with as much impassioned scholarship. With a fresh take on the genre’s earliest roots, Jeff Apter’s chronicle of rockabilly’s favorite son is the real deal—blazing, rocking vignettes and firsthand accounts offer us a front-row seat to the life and art of the guitarist who unabashedly shaped the American rock sound and once gave another king a real run for his money. Apter masterfully reminds us that there would be no rock ’n’ roll without the blazing guitar of this great innovator. A must for music fans and crucial for those whose hearts beat rockabilly. Long live Carl Perkins—the original king!” —C. M. Kushins, author of Beast: John Bonham and the Rise of Led Zeppelin

‍“Australian music and popular culture writer Apter adds to his shelf of music biographies with this affectionate look into the life of rockabilly legend Carl Perkins. Apter adopts a fairly strict chronology, from Perkins’s childhood days picking cotton in rural Tennessee through his signing with Sun Records, his Million Dollar Quartet sessions, and his rise to international fame while rubbing shoulders and singing or playing guitar with a veritable who’s-who of the popular music world. From Johnny Cash to the Beatles, Perkins counted almost all the greats as friends. But he may be best remembered for writing songs covered by others, such as Elvis Presley’s rendition of ‘Blue Suede Shoes.’ Poignant episodes dealing with Perkins’s overcoming alcohol-use disorder and family tragedies are juxtaposed with joyful tours in Britain and beyond. Apter also details Perkins’s social justice efforts, including establishing a child-abuse prevention center in Jackson, TN. An extensive bibliography and helpful epilogue are included, bringing readers up to date on developments since Perkins’s death. VERDICT: Other than Perkins’s own 1996 autobiography, little has been published about him, and Apter admirably fills the gap with this detailed and emotionally charged biography.” —Library Journal

‍‍

“Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly” by Jeff Apter, Citadel Press, 240 pages, $29.

Readers fortunate enough to have spent their adolescence during the 1950s will certainly remember singer Carl Perkins. However, many, like the reviewer, may think that his signature song, “Blue Suede Shoes," belonged to Elvis Presley who had covered Perkins’ iconic hit later. Jeff Apter’s new biography, “Carl Perkins," should introduce him to younger generations and firmly establish his reputation as one of rock ’n’ roll’s founders.

Apter is an Australian writer who has published 30 books on the music scene, including an acclaimed biography of Keith Urban. Perkins’ story is an example of a true “rags to riches” tale of achieving lasting fame following a humble beginning.

As a child Perkins picked cotton alongside Black coworkers on a Tennessee plantation for 50 cents per day. His family of five lived in a three-room shack without electricity or running water. On the Saturday nights when they could afford a radio battery, the family would listen to the Grand Ole Opry where bluegrass great Bill Monroe was one of his favorites. His first two-string guitar was fashioned from a cigar box, broom handle and baling wire.

As a teen, he and his two brothers performed in local honky-tonks, which could have served as models for “Bob’s Country Bunker” portrayed in “The Blues Brothers” movie. The combination of gospel, blues and country music Perkins learned in this environment led to his embrace of a style of music that became known as “rockabilly." Fortuitously, the simultaneous emergence of singers with similar backgrounds, such as Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis, resulted in their lifelong friendships and intertwining careers. Each recorded at Sun Records in Memphis and, later, Perkins toured with Johnny Cash for many years.

Perkins survived a serious auto accident that nearly ended his early career, the premature deaths of his two brothers, alcoholism and throat cancer while managing to maintain his guitar virtuosity and songwriting skills.

Hesitant readers should be reassured that the book’s end is decidedly upbeat. Unlike the more charismatic Presley, Perkins was able to enjoy acclaim before his death in 1998 at age 65. His career was reborn in the ’60s when all of the Beatles professed the influence of his music on their songs. Eric Clapton, John Fogarty and Tom Petty praised his expertise on the guitar. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, founded a charity for victims of child abuse, and remained married to his childhood sweetheart for 47 years. An eight-page photo insert enhances the prose. The book is an overdue remembrance of a pioneer of American music.

Matt Olberding

Lincoln Journal Star

‍