Bill Duniven

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Bill Duniven (born January 23, 1938 in Steele , Missouri , † February 28, 1999 in Stoddard , Missouri) was an American rock 'n' roll musician.

Life

Childhood and youth

Bill Duniven was born in Steele on the border with the US state Arkansas . In his youth he was mainly influenced by the rockabilly of the Sun stars like Elvis Presley , Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins . On the broadcaster KLCN from Blytheville, Arkansas, he heard the songs that Sam Phillips released on his label Sun Records . As a teenager, he took part in a talent contest at school, in which he took first place with his version of Presley's Heartbreak Hotel .

Career

A short time later, Duniven founded his first band, with which he performed in small clubs and bars. During one of these appearances, he was discovered and signed by Arlen Vaden, owner of Vaden Records . His first session took place in 1961 at Hi Records' studio in Memphis , Tennessee , where he was accompanied by Bill Black's band. His first single consisted of Teddy Redell's song Knocking on the Backside and Jimmy Wakely's hit One Has My Name .

The single was well received by audiences in Arkansas and was often played on the radio. Duniven was given the opportunity to appear on television (with Billy Lee Riley among others ) and toured the country with other Vaden artists. Duniven also played a few shows with stars such as Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis . The single could not place in the charts and Vaden failed to release a follow-up record.

Duniven's record is Vaden's last known publication. Duniven himself spent the 1960s with concerts, but studied and became a pilot. Nevertheless, he continued his musical career. In addition to a few unsuccessful singles, his only album was recorded in 1979; some of the tracks were recorded in Sun's old Memphis studio. He continued his career into the 1990s. In the middle of the decade he had an operation on his heart, but it was not free of complications. Duniven finally died in 1999.

Discography

year title Label #
1961 Knocking on the Backside / One Has My Name Vaden 45-306
Six Dollars a Night / I Can't Even Drink It Away Dell 7407

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Duniven, Bill
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rock and roll musician
DATE OF BIRTH January 23, 1938
PLACE OF BIRTH Steele (Missouri)
DATE OF DEATH February 28, 1999
Place of death Stoddard, Missouri