Bill Flagg

Bill Flagg (* 1934 in Waterville , Maine ) is an American country and rockabilly singer who was the first to use the term "rockabilly".

Life

Childhood and youth

Bill Flaggs records on Tetra Records

Born and raised in Maine, Flagg and his family moved to Connecticut just before the start of World War II . Flagg's grandfather was the local milk delivery company.

Career

He started his career on the radio as "Singing Cowboy" as The Lone Pine Cowboy . Then he switched to bluegrass before switching to rockabilly around 1954 with friend John Sligar. Flagg is the first known musician to use this term. The style of music as such existed before and was played by musicians such as hard rock Gunter and Roy Hall . As his popularity grew on the radio, he was awarded a recording deal by Tetra Records in New York City . With his bandmates Cat Gibson and Ted Barton, who from now on called themselves The Rockabillies , Flagg played his first records in 1956. These first singles, including Go Cat Go and Guitar Rock , recorded with a double bass and two acoustic guitars , achieved relatively good positions in the Billboard charts . The records were marketed by Tetra as "Rockabillie" (!).

In 1958 Flagg moved to MGM Records and released his last single. He then worked in his family's business helping his father, who had previously suffered a heart attack. He only appeared in bars and pubs on weekends. 27 years after his musical career, his son Bob persuaded him to return actively to the music scene. As a result, Flagg formed a bluegrass band called Hobo Bill and the Last Ride . Since then, Bill Flagg has appeared again in public.

Discography

year	title	Record company
1956	Go Cat Go / A Good Woman's Leavin '	Tetra Records
1956	Guitar Rock / I'm So Lonely	Tetra Records
1958	Doin 'My Time / I Will Always Love You	MGM Records
	Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms	Tetra Records (unreleased)

Web links

• biography
• Discography with audio samples

Individual evidence

1. ↑ rockabillyhall.com: Bill Flagg