Feature Column
Exclusive to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Column #35 - published July 4, 2000
!! AMERICA'S
BIRTHDAY !!
Today is America's
birthday and I think we should thank her:
Photo at right: Benny Weiser carrying on the AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE!!!
Thank you, America: for being the Land Of The Free And The Home Of The
Brave!
Thank you, America: for Rock'n'Roll, and Rockabilly, and Rhythm & Blues,
and Hillbilly, and Boogie Woogie, and Swing, and Dixieland, and Zydeco, and
Bluegrass and......
Thank you, America: for Freedom, and "Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of
Happiness", and for being the land of opportunity, and the most hospitable
and friendly country in the world to people of my ethnic background, and to
people of ALL races, religions and national origins........
FATS DOMINO, an American Icon, how can one be more American than Fats?
ELVIS: Is this an AMERICAN LOOK or WHAT???!!!!???
And a great patriot too he was, always eager to help others: an Orthodox
rabbi was his neighbor, who needed a non-Jew to do basic chores during the
Shabbat (Jews must obey a day of rest). So he asked Elvis, who gladly
accepted to help. But when it came time for the rabbi to pay Presley, Elvis refused to accept
any money even though he was dirt poor back then. Elvis felt it was a great
honor for him to help, and wouldn't take any compensation. This went on for
many Sabbaths. To this day the rabbi's family remembers fondly how kind and generous Elvis
Presley was.
Thank you, America: for Elvis, and Gene Vincent, and Little Richard, and
Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee, and LaVern Baker, and Johnny Horton, and Chuck
Berry, and Johnny Burnette, and Ray Campi, and Mac Curtis, and Sam Cooke, and Johnny Carroll,
and Charlie Feathers, and Marty Robbins, and Clyde McPhatter, and Dee Clark,
and Al Jolson, and Benny Goodman, and Carl Perkins, and Buddy Holly, and
Eddie Cochran, and Gene Krupa, and Hank Ballard, and The Treniers,
and.........even Johnny Legend, and.....
Thank you, America: for Las Vegas, and Hollywood, and Texas, and Wyoming,
and New York, and Memphis, and New Orleans, and Hawaii, and the Grand Canyon,
and Kentucky, and Mississippi, and Austin, and Fort Worth, and San Francisco,
and Arizona, and Boston where they started the American Revolution for
Freedom and to oppose a 3% tax on tea!!! (Where are the patriots now that we
are being taxed upto 50% or more???)
In the 1840s a young Jewish peddler named Levi Strauss would be selling his
wares all over the Deep South. The farmers eagerly awaited his arrival not
only for the items he was selling, but they were also fascinated and honored
to have as their house guest a member of "The People Of The Book". Unlike
Europe, where anti-Semitism was rampant, Levi found friendship and
opportunities in America.
It was only a few years later that he established himself in San Francisco,
and his famous 501 blue-jeans were invented. They immediately became the
choice wear of cowboys and Westerners everywhere.
Mr. Levi Strauss was long dead by the time Rock'n'Roll music burst out into
the spotlight in the mid Fifties, and yet his classic blue-jeans, now one
hundred years old, became the uniform of the Rock'n'Roll generation!!
Even today the classic 501 blue-jeans are favourites of Rockabilly Rebels
throughout the globe, almost 150 years after they were first introduced!
Only in America......
Thank you, America: for Lee Riders, and Wranglers, and Levi's, and H-Bar-C,
and Rockmount Ranchwear, and Pink&Black, and cowboy boots, and Hawaiian
shirts, and Stetson hats, and rayon, and....
TEX AVERY was more American than anybody: here is Droopy tangling
with Joe Wolf!
Thank you, America: for Tex Avery, and Tom & Jerry, and Daffy Duck, and
Droopy, and Bugs Bunny, and Sylvester, and Joe Wolf, and Red.......
Gene Autrey was 100% American. He was also a conservative
Republican. Here are the Ten Commandments Of The Cowboy which he published
in the mid 1930s. He was 30 years ahead of the civil rights movement in his
Commandment against bigotry and prejudice.
Thank you, America: for Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry, and Robert Mitchum, and
Gary Cooper, and Hitchcock, and The Honeymooners, and Western movies, and
John Wayne, and Marylin Monroe, and Gershwin, and Superman, and .......
Thank you, America: for Hot Fudge Sundaes, and Cheeseburgers, and Prime
Rib, and Coca-Cola, and Hot Dogs, and French Fries, and Las Vegas Buffets,
and pizza (Italiano!!), and Tacos (Viva Mexico!), and SLURP!!!.......
Thank you, America: for those Pink Cadillacs, and Turquoise Chevys, and
Buicks, and Pontiacs, and T-Birds, and Mercs, and .......
Thank you, America:
(Can we safely say you're not gonna find a much more AMERICAN chick
than this, no matter how many months you spend surfing the Internet??) for this Rockabilly Hall Of Fame, and The Rockabilly
Lists on the Internet, subscribed to by all those cool cats and real gone
chicks and very good friends, thank you America, even if they are from
England or Finland or France or Canada or Holland or Australia or.............
Thank you, America: for granting us the freedom to bash this big bloated
Federal Government which is harassing us all too often!!!
Thank you, America: for The Statue Of Liberty, a replica of which was
carried by those courageous Chinese students in Tiennamin Square, and whose
ideals are carried in the hearts of most freedom-loving people around the
world.....
In conclusion, Happy Birthday America, we love you!
AMERICAN enuff?
Next month's Column will be
"ALVIS WAYNE AT ROLLIN' ROCK"
Always Rollin' The Rollin' Rock,
Rockin' Ronny Weiser
The Rockabilly Rebel Westerner From Las Vegas, The Wild Wild West!
E-Mail Ronny at Rollin' Rock
ROCKIN' RONNY WEISER'S PAGE PAGE -
Original Cool's Ronny Weiser Interview
Ken Burke Reviews Rollin' Rock's Discography
THE ARCHIVES OF
RONNY'S ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME COLUMNS
© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Col. #34 for 06/00 - THE CHOP TOPS AT ROLLIN' ROCK!!
Col. #33 for 05/00 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 2000 PIX!
Col. #32 for 04/00 - DRAGSTRIP77: TEARIN' IT UP!
Col. #30 & #31 for 02/00 & 03/00 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 2000!
Col. #29 for 01/00 - ROCKIN' 2000!
Col. #28 for 12/99 - JOHNNY AND THE BLADES AT ROLLIN' ROCK!
Col. #27 for 11/99 - AN UPDATED IMPROVED SOUND?
Col. #26 for 10/99 - TIME TO RECLAIM "THE ROCK"
Col. #26 for 10/99 - TIME TO RECLAIM "THE ROCK"
Col. #25 for 9/99 - YOUNG ROCK AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #24 for 8/99 - COMETS RECORD AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #23 for 7/99 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Col. #22 for 6/99 - FINLAND IS A ROCKABILLY LAND!
Col. #21 for 5/99 - THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
Col. #20 for 4/99 - ROCKABILLY REBEL: A SHORT HISTORY
Col. #19 for 3/99 - PINBALL MILLIONAIRE
Col. #18 for 1/99 & 2/99 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 1999
Col. #17 - 12/98 - INTERNATIONAL ROCKABILLY REBELS MEET & GREET
Col. #16 - 11/98 - GROOVEY JOE POOVEY: Reminiscing
Col. #15 - 10/98 - CHARLIE FEATHERS
Col. #14 - 9/98 - NARVEL FELTS AT ROLLIN' ROCK!
Col. #13 - 8/98 - IT'S WESTERN WEAR!
Col. #12 - 7/98 - THE JORDANAIRES
Col. #11 - 6/98 - ROCKABILLY HOF - 15,000 HITS!!
Col. #10 - 5/98 - MAC STEVENS RECORDS AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. # 9 - 4/98 - VIVA LAS VEGAS
Col. # 8 - 3/98 - KAY WHEELER
Col. # 7 - 2/98 - 10 ROLLIN' ROCK CDs
Col. # 6 - 1/98 - SAM COOKE
Col. # 5 - 12/97 - LAS VEGAS IS A 1950's TOWN
Col. # 4 - 11/97 - GOD BLESS TEXAS
Col. # 3 - 10/97 - FATS DOMINO
Col. # 2 - 9/97 - RAB DISCUSSION GROUP
Col. # 1 - 8/97 - 25 YEARS OF ROLLIN' ROCK RECORDS