Here are some rare home movies from the earÂliÂest days of rock and roll. Although accounts difÂfer, this is apparÂentÂly the oldÂest footage of four legÂendary perÂformÂers: Elvis PresÂley, BudÂdy HolÂly, JohnÂny Cash and Carl Perkins. The film was shot in 1955 with an 8mm camÂera in HolÂly’s homeÂtown of LubÂbock, Texas, by his friend Ben Hall, a local disc jockÂey and musiÂcian who would latÂer write the song “Blue Days, Black Nights” from HolÂly’s That’ll Be The Day album. The silent footage is wideÂly reportÂed to have been takÂen at one of PresÂley’s April 29, 1955 shows at the CotÂton Club in LubÂbock. But that may not be entireÂly true, because HolÂly, Cash and Perkins were not on the adverÂtised bill for those shows.
PresÂley perÂformed in LubÂbock sevÂerÂal times that year. He first met HolÂly at a show at the Fair Park ColÂiÂseÂum on FebÂruÂary 13, when HolÂly and his friend Bob MontÂgomery appeared at the botÂtom of the bill as the counÂtry duo BudÂdy & Bob. HolÂly was 18 years old and still a senior in high school. The charisÂmatÂic PresÂley, though still unknown in most parts of the counÂtry in 1955, was already treatÂed as a star in the South, where he was mobbed by fans.
AccordÂing to the ScotÂty Moore Web site, the footage of PresÂley was takÂen on April 29 and the othÂers were filmed latÂer in the year. PresÂley is shown onstage and off with his origÂiÂnal band, the Blue Moon Boys, with ScotÂty Moore on guiÂtar and Bill Black on bass. Perkins appears in an orange jackÂet, Cash is wearÂing a white string tie over a black shirt, and HolÂly, who turned 19 around that time, is easÂiÂly recÂogÂnizÂable in his tradeÂmark eyeÂglassÂes.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
BudÂdy HolÂly at Age 12: His First RecordÂing
Library Card Signed by 13-Year-Old Elvis PresÂley, the EarÂliÂest Known SigÂnaÂture of the King
JimÂmy Page, 13, Plays GuiÂtar on BBC TalÂent Show (1957)
The BeaÂtÂles as Teens (1957)
It is April 29th 1955 for Elvis, he didÂn’t have that guiÂtar for much longer. Carl Perkins is there as well but also again with HolÂly but wearÂing difÂferÂent clothes on the two difÂferÂent occaÂsions. The HolÂly / Cash / Perkins footage could be as late as OctoÂber 1955. Elvis was not there on that date with them.
The footage with Elvis, ScotÂty and Bill was shot at the CotÂton Club and was spliced togethÂer with othÂer film shot latÂer by Ben Hall of Carl, JohnÂny, BudÂdy, SonÂny CurÂtis etc.. at the Fair Park AudiÂtoÂriÂum. DifÂferÂent times, difÂferÂent place.
What’s interÂestÂing to me is Carl Perkins, smilÂing away and brushÂing off his shoes, it’s like a point was made by the camÂeraÂman to film him do this.
Which sugÂgests to me that Blue suede shoes had just entered the charts.
Or it could just be a very strange coinÂinÂciÂdence, I’ve postÂed about this on sevÂerÂal YouTube videos.
The thing is, this song was not released until DecemÂber 1955,At least that’s the info I’ve found