Jimmy Evans
Inducted into Rockabilly Hall of Fame
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Posted August, 2008
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Posted September, 2003
NEW JIMMY EVANS CD available now. Nice variety of sounds, Jimmy's still got it!! "10-O-C" was the backup band on this 16-track album: "Arkansas's Been Rockin'". Contact: Jimmy Evans, 210 Newman Dr., Helena, AR 72342.
Posted August, 2001
JIMMY EVANS, "Rock-a-billy At It's Finest" Jimmy's back with 12 tracks, including "Memphis 1955", (Cashbox #22 in 1959), "Nashville Woman" and "Messy Bessy" (that sold 40,000 copies in 1960). Jimmy wrote and performed with Counway Twitty, Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks and was a Sun Studio band band member (1954-55). Contact Jimmy: 870-338-9360, Helena, AR.
Singer, song writer and musician Jimmy Evans was officially inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame on April 14, 15 and 16 at the Orman Arena in Jackson, Tenn. Hall of Fame curator presented Jimmy with his certificate on stage.
photo: Faye Huffman
Evans is a former resident of Marianna and a member of the Arkansas Jamboree for eight years. His career spans 40 years as a rockabilly singer and his recordings, "The Joint's Really Jumpin'", "Messy Bessie", Dudley Do-Rite" and "Pink Cadillac", are considered rockabilly classics. Jimmy spent three years (1956-1958) as a member of the Conway Twitty Band. He wrote Conway's "Why Can't I Get Through To You" in 1956. He left the Twitty Band in 1958 and joined Ronnie Hawkins' Hawks as bassist. While with Hawkins, he wrote "Goin' On A Hay Ride" and recorded two albums. "Meet Ronnie Hawkins" and "Mr. Dynamo" playing on Ronnie's million sellers "Mary Lou" and "Ruby Baby." Evans left the Hawks in 1960 when he began his own record career. He had 26 releases, four of which were chart records. His song "It Would Happen With Me" appears on the back side of Johnny Rivers' "Memphis" and Jerry Lee Lewis' "Cold, Cold Heart."
Jimmy began his career with Sun Records and had releases on Shimmy Clearmont. Rebel Ace, Erwin and River Town Records. He retired from the road in 1968 but plays dates for special occasions. He plays lead guitar, bass, drums, steel guitar and piano. He now makes his home in Helena. Jimmy remains a popular artist in Europe and has sold records in Holland, UK. Sweden, France, Germany, Finland and the USA. Jimmy performed with many other rockabilly legends such as Brenda Lee, Paul Burlison, The Comets and many others at the Rockabilly Fest 2000 show in Jackson, April 2000.
THE HAWKS, 1957-1960: Will "Pop" Jones, piano; Levon Helms, drums: Ronnie Hawkins, lead singer; Jimmy Evans, bass; J.R. Paulman, lead guitar.
RONNIE HAWKINS' HAWKS "KICKIN' BACK": Singer/bassman Jimmy Evans; singer star Bobby "Mack the Knife" Darin; drummer Levon Helms.
GREAT HARMONY SONGERS: Jimmy Evans and J.R. Paulman.
