N°127 BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS - SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR

Since the previous band released an album by the name of ‘Alligator’ the link was easily made with Bill Haley and his Comets and the song posted. It’s been a while though since I posted a classic song so there’s another good reason for the choice I’ve made.

Bill Haley died at the age of 55 when I was only 4 years old. We’re situating ourselves in 1981 then so you might wonder how I’ve got to know these songs. Well back in third grade I play backed him once with this song. Not a very good play back though but it got me to listen to some real old classics and that love for good old music never left.

It all started when Bill recorded the song Rock Around The Clock in 1954. Rock ‘n Roll was a very popular music and dance style in the fifties and Bill Haley would become one of the trendsetters of that genre. It wasn’t the biggest hit at first but when a dance movie with the same title was shown in all the movie theatres in 1956 his song was on the track list. It spread out around the whole world together with the increasing popularity of rock ‘n roll itself.

 

Bill was born to play music with a banjo playing dad and his mom being a pianist. With this musical influence he started his own band halfway the 1940’s. The band’s name would be Bill Haley’s Saddlemen but they changed the name at the recordings of their first album in 1951 into Bill Haley and the Comets.  At that same time he was known as one of the best yodellers in America and he performed as Silver Yodelling Bill Haley. He also lead a radio station in the 1940’s, all a continuation of his love for music.

With the success of songs such as ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’, ‘Rock Around The Clock’ and ‘See You Later alligator’ came the downside of success. Haley fought a long battle with alcohol and in the 1970’s he’d admit on national radio to be an alcoholic. This would nowadays probably mean the break-up of a band but The Comets kept touring and playing with Bill. While he and his environment coped well with his alcohol abuse it didn’t cause his death. A brain tumour did, diagnosed only weeks before his late 1980’s tour which got cancelled. His drinking problem got worse in the last few years of his life causing family problems.

Although his troubled life he was granted a star on the Hollywood walk Of Fame and he got post mortem ignaurated in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall Of Fame.

The Comets are still touring in their original form tributing Bill Haley and their successful music.

Enjoy the song and see you later alligator!