Paul Peek
Encyclopedia
Paul Edward Peek Jr was an early rockabilly
pioneer. Peek was born in High Point, NC was raised in Greenville, SC. Paul learned to play the guitar, steel guitar and bass while he was 12 years old. When he was 14 he played in several local country bands. He graduated from Greenville Senior High School in 1954 and performed (Steel Guitar) with Claude Casey and the Sagedusters on WFBC-TV in 1955 on a weekly TV show. In 1956 Paul was recruited as an early member of Gene Vincent
& The Blue Caps, sometimes stealing the limelight. As a member of the Blue Caps, Peek was one of the first rock artists to appear in the movies, appearing in The Girl Can't Help It
(1956).
Peek had the distinction of being the first artist to record for National Recording Corporation
out of Atlanta. In 1958, NRC 001 ("Sweet Skinny Jenny"/"The Rock a Round") was recorded at WGST Radio Station. In 1958 Paul recorded a novelty song "Olds-Mo-William" and performed the song on Dick Clark's Saturday Night "Beech Nut" National TV Show. Because of distribution problems with NRC Records, the recording died before it could become a national hit. He also appeared on New York City's "The Big Beat" with host Alan Freed. Musicians who appeared on Peek's NRC singles included Joe South
, Jerry Reed
, and Ray Stevens
, Sonny James
. Eskew Reeder, Jr, also known as Esquerita
was a co-writer and keyboard player on this first single. Reeder, a fellow Carolinian, was instrumental in developing the style popularized by Little Richard
. Esquerita's wild recordings for Capitol Records
are collector's items. The flip side of Olds Mo Williams, "I'm Not Your Fool Anymore," has a fine vocal group backing up Paul, the members of which are unknown.
Peek's NRC recordings have been bootlegged in Europe for years, and have now been re-released on CD by NRC. Although Peek recorded for several major labels some of his most memorable recordings are the NRC singles, Olds-Mo-William and The Rock-Around. Peek's biggest sellers were "Brother-In-Law (He's A Moocher) (1961) produced by Joe South on Fairlane Records (distributed by King
reaching #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" (1966), another Joe South Production on CBS Records reaching #91 on the chart.
In early 1964, local Minneapolis band Gregory Dee & The Avantis had a big regional hit of Old-Mo-William.
Although his national recording career waned, Peek continued to play music professionally, establishing a stage persona that made him a wildly popular nightclub performer in Atlanta, GA for decades. In the early 1980s, he and Dickie Harrell, Bobby Jones, Bubba Facenda
, and Johnny Meeks, all former Blue Caps, made the first of several appearances at rockabilly festivals in England. The Blue Caps' popularity was, and is, alive and well in Europe. It was only after his health began to decline that Paul Peek gave up performing publicly.
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...
pioneer. Peek was born in High Point, NC was raised in Greenville, SC. Paul learned to play the guitar, steel guitar and bass while he was 12 years old. When he was 14 he played in several local country bands. He graduated from Greenville Senior High School in 1954 and performed (Steel Guitar) with Claude Casey and the Sagedusters on WFBC-TV in 1955 on a weekly TV show. In 1956 Paul was recruited as an early member of Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
& The Blue Caps, sometimes stealing the limelight. As a member of the Blue Caps, Peek was one of the first rock artists to appear in the movies, appearing in The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy musical film starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenplay adapted by Tashlin and Herbert Baker from an uncredited novel Do Re Me by Garson Kanin...
(1956).
Peek had the distinction of being the first artist to record for National Recording Corporation
National Recording Corporation
-Early years:National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records and performed on...
out of Atlanta. In 1958, NRC 001 ("Sweet Skinny Jenny"/"The Rock a Round") was recorded at WGST Radio Station. In 1958 Paul recorded a novelty song "Olds-Mo-William" and performed the song on Dick Clark's Saturday Night "Beech Nut" National TV Show. Because of distribution problems with NRC Records, the recording died before it could become a national hit. He also appeared on New York City's "The Big Beat" with host Alan Freed. Musicians who appeared on Peek's NRC singles included Joe South
Joe South
Joe South is a multi-talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Career:...
, Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
, and Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
, Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
. Eskew Reeder, Jr, also known as Esquerita
Esquerita
Esquerita was the stage name of singer, songwriter and pianist Eskew Reeder Jr, originally known as Steven Quincy Reeder Jr. and also known as S.Q. Reeder and SQ Jr. A native of Greenville, South Carolina, he was born on November 20, 1935, and died in Harlem, New York on October 23, 1986, of AIDS...
was a co-writer and keyboard player on this first single. Reeder, a fellow Carolinian, was instrumental in developing the style popularized by Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
. Esquerita's wild recordings for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
are collector's items. The flip side of Olds Mo Williams, "I'm Not Your Fool Anymore," has a fine vocal group backing up Paul, the members of which are unknown.
Peek's NRC recordings have been bootlegged in Europe for years, and have now been re-released on CD by NRC. Although Peek recorded for several major labels some of his most memorable recordings are the NRC singles, Olds-Mo-William and The Rock-Around. Peek's biggest sellers were "Brother-In-Law (He's A Moocher) (1961) produced by Joe South on Fairlane Records (distributed by King
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
reaching #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" (1966), another Joe South Production on CBS Records reaching #91 on the chart.
In early 1964, local Minneapolis band Gregory Dee & The Avantis had a big regional hit of Old-Mo-William.
Although his national recording career waned, Peek continued to play music professionally, establishing a stage persona that made him a wildly popular nightclub performer in Atlanta, GA for decades. In the early 1980s, he and Dickie Harrell, Bobby Jones, Bubba Facenda
Tommy Facenda
Tommy "Bubba" Facenda is an American rock and roll singer and guitarist. He is best known for his one-hit wonder single, "High School U.S.A."-Career:...
, and Johnny Meeks, all former Blue Caps, made the first of several appearances at rockabilly festivals in England. The Blue Caps' popularity was, and is, alive and well in Europe. It was only after his health began to decline that Paul Peek gave up performing publicly.