Cliff Gleaves
Cliff Gleaves (born 1930 in Jackson , Tennessee , † June 4, 2002 ) was an American rockabilly musician and DJ. Gleaves was also a close associate and friend of Elvis Presley .
Life
Cliff Gleaves began his career as a radio DJ in Jackson, his birthplace. In 1956, Gleaves met Elvis Presley, who was very young at the time and who had just recorded his first number one hit with Heartbreak Hotel for RCA Victor . Presley invited Gleaves to accompany him to Hollywood , where Presley's film Love Me Tender (German title: Powder Steam and Hot Songs ) was shot.
On December 4, 1956, the day of the Million Dollar Quartet , Gleaves was also at the Sun Studio in Memphis when Presley made his jam recordings with Carl Perkins , Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash . Gleaves quickly became one of Presley's closest friends and associates, living on his Graceland estate and accompanying him to Presley's muster at Kennedy Veterans Hospital in Memphis on January 4, 1957.
Despite working with Presley, Gleaves also found time to advance his own career. In September 1957, Jack Clement's short-lived summer label released his first record, Love Is My Business / Easy Goin 'Guy , which did not hit the charts. In 1958, Gleaves made some unreleased recordings for Sun Records , including a new version of Love Is My Business . But that same year Gleaves went to Germany with Presley , who was doing his military service there. Gleaves also traveled with him to Paris during this time .
After Gleaves returned to the States, he recorded a long Black Hearse / You and Your Kind for Liberty Records in 1960 , which was again a failure. He stayed connected to Presley until 1972, but made his own radio career and had another single release.
Discography
| year | title | Label # |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Love Is My Business / Easy Goin 'Guy | Buzzer 501 |
| 1960 | Long Black Hearse / You and Your Kind | Liberty F-55263 |
| The Day the Town Cried /? | Park avenue | |
| Unpublished titles | ||
| 1958 |
|
Sun |
Web links
- Short biography in the Elvis forum
- Discography with audio samples
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gleaves, Cliff |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rockabilly musician and DJ |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Jackson (Tennessee) |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 4, 2002 |