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Bill Haley

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bill Haley
Bill Haley in 1974
Background information
Birth nameWilliam John Clifton Haley
Born(1925-07-06)July 6, 1925
Highland Park, Michigan, U.S.
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 9, 1981(1981-02-09) (aged 55)
Harlingen, Texas, U.S.
GenresCountry, rock and roll, rockabilly
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, bandleader
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, double bass
Years active1946 - 1981

William John Clifton Haley (/ˈhl/; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He was one of the first to make rock and roll music popular in the 1950s with his band Bill Haley & His Comets. He sold 25 million records worldwide[1] with hits such as "Rock Around the Clock" (1954), "Shake, Rattle and Roll" (1954) and "See You Later, Alligator" (1956).

Personal life

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Haley was born in Highland Park, Michigan. At the age of four, he had operation on his inner-ear, which cut an optic nerve, making him blind in his left eye.[2]

He died of a heart attack caused by alcoholism on February 9, 1981 aged 55.[3]

Grammy Hall of Fame

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The following recording by Bill Haley was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1982.

Bill Haley: Grammy Hall of Fame[4]
Year Recorded Title Genre Label Year Inducted Notes
1954 "Rock Around the Clock" Rock & Roll (single) Decca Records 1982

References

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  1. "Radaumusiker". seite3.ch. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  2. Fuchs, Otto (2014). Bill Haley: The Father of Rock & Roll. Wagner. p. 16. ISBN 9783866839014.
  3. Hall, Michael (31 May 2011). "Falling Comet". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  4. Grammy Hall of Fame Database Archived July 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.

Other websites

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