Rudy Grayzell

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Rudy Jimenez "Tutti" Grayzell (born June 8, 1933 in Saspamco , Texas ; † November 26, 2019 ) was an American rockabilly musician . Well-known titles by him include Ducktail and Let's Go Wild .

Life

Childhood and youth

His parents Joe and Juanita moved with Rudy Grayzell to San Antonio shortly after he was born . The young Grayzell became interested in music from an early age, as his mother played the mandolin . It was also shaped by country music , pop music and traditional Mexican music. Grayzell learned to play the guitar at age twelve , ostensibly to impress a girl from his school. Shortly thereafter, he and his friends Charlie Kunshie and Roy Mooney formed his first band, the Silver Buckles , with which he performed in bars and pubs. But in his youth Grayzell actually wanted to be an athlete until he was diagnosed with a heart defect and so he devoted himself to music.

Career

While on the local radio show Barn on KMAC, Grayzell met radio host and musician Charlie Walker , through whom he met Red Stewart, who later became his manager. Shortly thereafter, Grayzell got a record deal with Fabor Robisons Abbott Records . His first session took place in 1953 at the KWKH studio Shreveport , Louisiana with the Louisiana Hayride house band, which included Floyd Cramer on piano , Jim Reeves and Jimmie Long, among others . His first single came out that same year with Looking At The Moon And Wishing On A Star , which was later also recorded by Charlene Arthur and Skeets McDonald . After another single, Grayzell released his last track on Abbott, the well-known It Ain't My Baby (And I Ain't Gonna Rock It) . In the meantime, Grayzell had got the opportunity to appear in the Louisiana Hayride and in the Grand Ole Opry , which made him more famous. In 1954 he signed a contract with Capitol Records and briefly changed his name to "Rudy Gray". At Capitol he played titles like Hearts Made Of Stone , which was slightly based on Doo Wop , or Please Big Mama , which, like his previous appearances, were all heavily based on Country Boogie . After that, Grayzell concentrated on his live performances. In addition to the hayride, he was often heard on the channel KMAC and went on tour with Elvis Presley .

Once again through his friend Charlie Walker, Grayzell received a contract with Starday in 1956 . It was only here that he published his most famous titles such as Ducktail , You're Gone and Let's Go Wild . These pieces are now considered rockabilly classics and were also covered by Joe Clay . After his time at Starday, Grayzell was under contract to various labels until the late 1950s and released a few minor singles, including one with Sun Records in Memphis , Tennessee . After Grayzell moved to the west coast of the USA , he settled permanently in Oregon in 1960 . For the next few decades Grayzell did not record any more pieces, but went on smaller tours through the USA and played in bars, clubs and other small events.

In the late 1980s, Grayzell traveled to England to play the Hemsby Rock'n'Roll Weekend . The response was positive and he started working in the studio again. He played a new version of his song Ducktail and released an album. In recognition of his achievements in rockabilly music, he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame .

Grayzell performed regularly at concerts until his death. At the concert that took place in Calafell Spain in September 2019 , Grayzell, originally planned as headliner , was no longer able to participate due to an accident. Grayzell died of the consequential damage of the accident on November 26, 2019.

Discography

Singles

year Title A Title B Record company
1953 Looking On The Moon And Wishing On A Star The Heart That Once Was Mine Abbott Records
1953 I'm gone again Bonita Chiquita Abbott Records
1954 It Ain't My Baby (And I AIn't Gonna Rock It ) Ocean Paradise Abbott Records
1954 There's gonna be a ball Hearts Made Of Stone Capitol Records
1955 You Better Believe It Ca-Razy Capitol Records
1955 Please Bog Mama My Spirit Is Willing Capitol Records
1956 The moon is up Day by Day Starday Records
1956 Ducktail You're gone Starday Records
1956 Jig-Ga-Lee-Ga You hurt me so Starday Records
1957 Let's get wild I love you so Starday Records
1958 Judy I think of you Sun Records
1959 FBI story You'll be mine Award Records
  • I won't be the fool
  • Remember when
 Sun Records (not released)

Albums

  • 1998: Let's Get Wild

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ RIP Rudy Grayzell , The Berlich Post (English), November 29, 2019
  2. ^ Adam Komorowski: From Boppin 'Hillbilly To Red Hot Rockabilly. Pp. 38-40
  3. ↑ Report Part 2: High-Rock-A-Billy in Calafell, Spain , on The Unleashed, Das Rock 'n' Roll Magazine , October 11, 2019
  4. ^ RIP Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell , Steve Hoffman Music Forum (English), November 30, 2019

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Grayzell, Rudy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Grayzell, Rudy Jimenes (real name); Gray, Rudy; Grayzell, Tutti
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rockabilly musician
DATE OF BIRTH June 8, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Saspamco , Texas
DATE OF DEATH November 26, 2019