Bill Flagg
Encyclopedia
Bill Flagg is an American
country
and rockabilly
singer, who was the first to use the term, rockabilly.
Bill Flagg was born and raised in Waterville
, Maine
. Shortly after the start of World War II
, the family moved to Connecticut
.
before he and his friend, John Sligar, changed to rockabilly in 1954. Flagg is the first musician known to use this term. The musical style as such had already existed and had been played by musicians such as Hardrock Gunter
and Roy Hall. Because of his rising popularity on the radio, he got a recording contract with Tetra Records in New York City
. With his band members, Cat Gibson and Ted Barton, henceforth calling themselves The Rockabillies, Flagg recorded his first record in 1956. These first singles, including Go Cat Go and Guitar Rock, recorded with a contrabass
and two acoustic guitars, placed relatively well on the Billboard charts
. The records were marketed as "rockabillie" by Tetra.
In 1958, Flagg changed to MGM Records
and released his last single. After that, he worked in his family's business and helped his father, who had previous suffered a heart attack. He only appeared in bars on weekends. Twenty-seven years after his musical career, his son, Bob, persuaded him to actively join the music scene again. After that, Flagg started a bluegrass band called Hobo Bill and the Last Ride. Since then, Bill Flagg has again been making appearances in the public.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
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...
singer, who was the first to use the term, rockabilly.
Childhood and youth
Waterville, Maine
Waterville is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States, on the west bank of the Kennebec River. The population was 15,722 at the 2010 census. Home to Colby College and Thomas College, Waterville is the regional commercial, medical and cultural center....
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Shortly after the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the family moved to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Career
Flagg began his career in radio as a "singing cowboy" calling himself The Lone Pine Cowboy. He then moved to bluegrassBluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
before he and his friend, John Sligar, changed to rockabilly in 1954. Flagg is the first musician known to use this term. The musical style as such had already existed and had been played by musicians such as Hardrock Gunter
Hardrock Gunter
Sidney Louie Gunter Jr. , 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....
and Roy Hall. Because of his rising popularity on the radio, he got a recording contract with Tetra Records in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. With his band members, Cat Gibson and Ted Barton, henceforth calling themselves The Rockabillies, Flagg recorded his first record in 1956. These first singles, including Go Cat Go and Guitar Rock, recorded with a contrabass
Contrabass
Contrabass refers to a musical instrument of very low pitch; generally those pitched one octave below instruments of the bass register...
and two acoustic guitars, placed relatively well on the Billboard charts
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. The records were marketed as "rockabillie" by Tetra.
In 1958, Flagg changed to MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
and released his last single. After that, he worked in his family's business and helped his father, who had previous suffered a heart attack. He only appeared in bars on weekends. Twenty-seven years after his musical career, his son, Bob, persuaded him to actively join the music scene again. After that, Flagg started a bluegrass band called Hobo Bill and the Last Ride. Since then, Bill Flagg has again been making appearances in the public.
Discography
| Year | Title | Record Company |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Go Cat Go / A Good Woman's Leavin | Tetra Records |
| 1956 | Guitar Rock / I'm So Lonely | Tetra Records |
| 1958 | Doin' My Time / I Will Always Love You | MGM Records |
|
Tetra Records (not released) |