Hardrock Gunter
Encyclopedia
Sidney Louie Gunter Jr. (b 27 February 1925, Birmingham, Alabama
), known as Hardrock Gunter, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music at the turn of the 1950s prefigured rock and roll
and rockabilly
music.
He formed his first group, the Hoot Owl Ramblers, in his teens, and also performed a solo novelty act in talent shows. In 1939, he joined Happy Wilson's Golden River Boys, a country swing group, and acquired his nickname when a van trunk lid fell on him before a show and he never flinched. After wartime service he returned to work with the group, before leaving to become their agent and starting to appear on local TV.
As a popular local personality, he was approached to record by Birmingham’s Bama label. He recorded his own song "Birmingham Bounce
" in early 1950, the Golden River Boys being renamed the Pebbles on the record. It became a regional hit, and led to over 20 cover versions, the most successful being by Red Foley
. Gunter’s original version has become regarded as a contender for the first rock and roll record, predating "Rocket 88
" by a year.
Gunter followed up with "Gonna Dance All Night", one of the first records to feature the actual words "rock’n’roll". When the Bama label folded, Gunter signed to Decca
, and his 1951 duet with Roberta Lee, "Sixty Minute Man
," was one of the first country
records to cross over to R&B audiences. In 1953 he began working at a radio station, and also remade "Gonna Dance All Night" and recorded "Jukebox Help Me Find My Baby", both of which were issued by Sun Records
and became regional hits.
He continued to record with limited success, and in the 1960s left the music business to develop a career in insurance, based in Colorado. In 1995 he began to perform again at festivals and now lives in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
), known as Hardrock Gunter, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music at the turn of the 1950s prefigured rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
and rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
music.
He formed his first group, the Hoot Owl Ramblers, in his teens, and also performed a solo novelty act in talent shows. In 1939, he joined Happy Wilson's Golden River Boys, a country swing group, and acquired his nickname when a van trunk lid fell on him before a show and he never flinched. After wartime service he returned to work with the group, before leaving to become their agent and starting to appear on local TV.
As a popular local personality, he was approached to record by Birmingham’s Bama label. He recorded his own song "Birmingham Bounce
Birmingham Bounce
"Birmingham Bounce" is a 1950s song written by Hardrock Gunter. It has been recorded numerous times, the most famous version was recorded by Red Foley who made it a hit. The song was Red Foley's sixth number one on the Folk Record chart and spent a total of fifteen weeks on the chart...
" in early 1950, the Golden River Boys being renamed the Pebbles on the record. It became a regional hit, and led to over 20 cover versions, the most successful being by Red Foley
Red Foley
Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
. Gunter’s original version has become regarded as a contender for the first rock and roll record, predating "Rocket 88
Rocket 88
"Rocket 88" is a rhythm and blues song that was first recorded at Sam Phillips' recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on 3 March or 5 March 1951...
" by a year.
Gunter followed up with "Gonna Dance All Night", one of the first records to feature the actual words "rock’n’roll". When the Bama label folded, Gunter signed to Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, and his 1951 duet with Roberta Lee, "Sixty Minute Man
Sixty Minute Man
"Sixty Minute Man" is a rhythm and blues record released in 1951 by The Dominoes. It was written by Billy Ward and Rose Marks and was one of the first R&B hit records to cross over to become a pop hit on the pop charts...
," was one of the first country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
records to cross over to R&B audiences. In 1953 he began working at a radio station, and also remade "Gonna Dance All Night" and recorded "Jukebox Help Me Find My Baby", both of which were issued by Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
and became regional hits.
He continued to record with limited success, and in the 1960s left the music business to develop a career in insurance, based in Colorado. In 1995 he began to perform again at festivals and now lives in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.