Bill Haley: 1925 to 1981
Born William John Clifton Haley in Michigan on the 6th July 1925. He was shy as a child and always was self conscious about his appearance as he was blind in his left eye.
Through his teens he enjoyed yodelling, singing, playing and doing charity shows. In the years following the second world war Bill married childhood sweetheart Dorothy Crowe and began hosting a radio show in Chester Pennsylvania. Still looking to draw attention from his bad eye he began wearing his kiss-cud trademark on his forehead.
While Bill is remembered as a Rock and Roll legend, most people forget he was an established country recording artist in the late forties with songs such as "Candy and Women", "My Mum Heard Me Crying" and "Behind The Eight Ball".
1955 saw "Rock Around The Clock" released which became his biggest hit, a good follow up song to his 1953 releases of "Crazy Man Crazy" and "Shake Rattle and Roll". For the next few years The band enjoyed many hits including "See You Later Alligator' and "Burn That Candle".
The bands success declined with the emergence of many new bands in this new exciting field of Rock n' Roll. But Bill still continued to tour and make a good living from his ever-popular concerts.
“Rock Around The Clock” enjoyed a revival in 1974 when it featured in the motion picture hit American Graffiti.
Bill Haley died of a heart attack in 1981.
