Dick Penner
Encyclopedia
Dick Penner is a retired professor of English, who, while in college in 1955, co-composed, with Wade Lee Moore (b. 15 Nov 1934 Amarillo, Texas
), Ooby Dooby, Roy Orbison
's rockabilly
classic. Penner also had been a singer, guitar player, and recording artist.
In 1957, Penner switched from country music to rock & roll. That same year, he and Wade Moore formed a duo and recorded for Sun Records
. The duo was known either as "Wade & Dick" or "The College Kids." Wade & Dick recorded six songs, and Penner recorded a few on his own, all of which exhibited a hard, youthful edge that was targeted towards the then new teen market. None of the songs that Wade and Dick recorded were commercially successful. Penner's three singles (of which at least one he shared guitar duties with Don Gilliland): (i) Move Baby Move, (ii) Fine Little Baby, and (iii) Someday Baby, all shared a common theme. The songs did not rise to the popularity of Ooby Dooby; however, the songs reached a formidable level on the national charts in Orbison's hands and, eventually, became regarded as a classic of the genre. Moore continued working in music with Orbison, but Penner decided on a career in academia and became an English professor.
By Dick Penner
where he met Wade Moore. They composed Ooby Dooby in February 1955. Penner and Wade had taken a six-pack of beer onto the flat roof of their Lambda Chi fraternity house and wrote Ooby Dooby in a matter of minutes.
Roy Orbison
, then a student at North Texas and friend, became aware of the song and recorded a demo of it with his band, the Wink Westerners, and sent it to Columbia Records
. Columbia was not interested in Orbison, but pitched the song to Sid King and the Five Strings, a band from Denton, Texas
, who recorded it on March 5, 1956, in Dallas.
On 27 March 1956, a Roy Orbison session was set at 706 Union Avenue. But Sam Phillips
as was unimpressed with the result and phoned Weldon Rogers to purchase the JE-WEL master. Rogers asked for a high price so Phillips released the Orbison session on Sun 242. By June 1956, "Ooby Dooby" had climbed to 59 on Billboard's Hot 100 and soon thereafter, sold over 500,000 copies.
Penner, now retired, was a professor of English literature at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
, Richard Roy "Head" West (piano), and Billy Pat "Spider" Ellis (drummer) — graduated from Wink High School in June 1954. Orbison, Ellis, and Joe Ray Hammer enrolled at the University of North Texas in the Fall of 1954. Fellow North Texas classmates included Pat Boone
, Dick Penner, and Wade Moore. Orbison, Ellis, Hammer, Penner, and Moore were in the same fraternity – Lambda Chi.
Dick Penner
Recordings of Ooby-Dooby
, Sun Records
(1961)
area of Dallas, Texas
. Penner earned a Bachelor of Arts in English (1958) and a masters degree in English (1967) from the University of North Texas
. In 1957, while working on his undergraduate degree, Penner was inducted into Blue Key, a national honor fraternity. After earning his masters degree, Penner taught English at North Texas. In the fall of 1961, Penner began teaching English at the University of Colorado at Boulder
. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in English from the University of Colorado at Boulder
in 1965, whereupon, he became an instructor of English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
), Ooby Dooby, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
's 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...
classic. Penner also had been a singer, guitar player, and recording artist.
In 1957, Penner switched from country music to rock & roll. That same year, he and Wade Moore formed a duo and recorded for 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...
. The duo was known either as "Wade & Dick" or "The College Kids." Wade & Dick recorded six songs, and Penner recorded a few on his own, all of which exhibited a hard, youthful edge that was targeted towards the then new teen market. None of the songs that Wade and Dick recorded were commercially successful. Penner's three singles (of which at least one he shared guitar duties with Don Gilliland): (i) Move Baby Move, (ii) Fine Little Baby, and (iii) Someday Baby, all shared a common theme. The songs did not rise to the popularity of Ooby Dooby; however, the songs reached a formidable level on the national charts in Orbison's hands and, eventually, became regarded as a classic of the genre. Moore continued working in music with Orbison, but Penner decided on a career in academia and became an English professor.
Compositions
By Dick Penner & Wade Moore- Ooby-Dooby, Allen Richard Penner & Wade Lee Moore (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) (written February 1955) - Bop Bop Baby, Allen Richard Penner & Wade Lee Moore (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
)
By Dick Penner
- Cindy Lou, Allen Richard Penner (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) (1957) - Your Honey Love, Allen Richard Penner (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) (1957) - Someday Baby, Allen Richard Penner
- Don't Need Your Lovin' Baby, Allen Richard Penner (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) - Move Baby Move, Allen Richard Penner (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) - Fine Little Baby, Allen Richard Penner (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) - When Will You Love Me? (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) - Wild Woman (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
)
Ooby Dooby
In 1954, Penner had enrolled at the University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
where he met Wade Moore. They composed Ooby Dooby in February 1955. Penner and Wade had taken a six-pack of beer onto the flat roof of their Lambda Chi fraternity house and wrote Ooby Dooby in a matter of minutes.
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, then a student at North Texas and friend, became aware of the song and recorded a demo of it with his band, the Wink Westerners, and sent it to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Columbia was not interested in Orbison, but pitched the song to Sid King and the Five Strings, a band from Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, who recorded it on March 5, 1956, in Dallas.
On 27 March 1956, a Roy Orbison session was set at 706 Union Avenue. But Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
as was unimpressed with the result and phoned Weldon Rogers to purchase the JE-WEL master. Rogers asked for a high price so Phillips released the Orbison session on Sun 242. By June 1956, "Ooby Dooby" had climbed to 59 on Billboard's Hot 100 and soon thereafter, sold over 500,000 copies.
Penner, now retired, was a professor of English literature at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Wink Westerners
Members of the Wink Westerners — Roy OrbisonRoy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Richard Roy "Head" West (piano), and Billy Pat "Spider" Ellis (drummer) — graduated from Wink High School in June 1954. Orbison, Ellis, and Joe Ray Hammer enrolled at the University of North Texas in the Fall of 1954. Fellow North Texas classmates included Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
, Dick Penner, and Wade Moore. Orbison, Ellis, Hammer, Penner, and Moore were in the same fraternity – Lambda Chi.
Selected discography
Wade & Dick – The College Kids- 1) Sun RecordsSun RecordsSun 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...
No. 269 (released May 27, 1957)- Be Bop Baby (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
U-250) - backed with ("bw") Don't Need Your Lovin Baby (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
U-251)
- Be Bop Baby (BMI
- 2) Sun RecordsSun RecordsSun 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...
(released 1956)- Be Bop Baby (alternate version) (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
U-250) - backed with ("bw") Wild Woman
- Be Bop Baby (alternate version) (BMI
Dick Penner
- 1) Sun RecordsSun RecordsSun 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...
No. 615 (1957)- Move Baby Move (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
) - backed with ("bw") Fine Little Baby (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
)
- Move Baby Move (BMI
- 2) Sun RecordsSun RecordsSun 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...
No. 282- Your Honey Love (BMIBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
U-278)
- Your Honey Love (BMI
Recordings of Ooby-Dooby
- Album –
Roy Orbison at the Rock House
Roy Orbison at the Rock House is the first album by Roy Orbison. It was released in 1961 by Sun Records at a time when Orbison had already moved to the Monument label but had not yet put out an album. Sun Records owner Sam Phillips had a collection of songs Orbison had recorded at Sun between 1956...
, 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...
(1961)
- Track list includes
- The Teen KingsRoy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
(1956) - Janis MartinJanis MartinJanis Darlene Martin was an American rockabilly and country music singer. She was one of the few women working in the male-dominated rock and roll music field during the 1950s and one of country music's early female innovators...
(1956) - Creedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater RevivalCreedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
(July 25, 1970) - Charlie FeathersCharlie FeathersCharles Arthur "Charlie" Feathers was an influential American rockabilly and country music performer.-Biography:...
(1977) - Los Super Ratones (1993)
- Elizabeth MitchellElizabeth Mitchell (musician)Elizabeth Mitchell, a Smithsonian Folkways Recording artist, has been recording and performing music for children since 1998. Elizabeth was the first new children's music artist signed to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in the 21st century...
(December 2002)
Audio samples
Bop Bop BabyEducation
Penner graduated from Sunset High School (1954) in the North Oak CliffOak Cliff
Oak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
area of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Penner earned a Bachelor of Arts in English (1958) and a masters degree in English (1967) from the University of North Texas
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
. In 1957, while working on his undergraduate degree, Penner was inducted into Blue Key, a national honor fraternity. After earning his masters degree, Penner taught English at North Texas. In the fall of 1961, Penner began teaching English at the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in English from the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1965, whereupon, he became an instructor of English at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Family
First marriage- On June 10, 1961, Penner married Janice Carolyn Gilley in Denton, TexasDenton, TexasThe city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
. Janice was born 2 Jan 1937 in Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and died 26 Oct 2004 in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. Janice had married once before on March 17, 1956, in Ardmore, OklahomaArdmore, OklahomaArdmore is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 24,283, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area totaling 56,694 residents...
, to Jay Larry Milholland (b. 14 Mar 1934 Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
). Janice held a Bachelor of Arts in History (1958) and a Bachelor of Music from the University of North TexasUniversity of North Texas College of MusicThe University of North Texas College of Music, based in Denton, is a comprehensive music school with the largest enrollment of any music institution accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the oldest in the world offering a degree in jazz studies...
. Their marriage ended in divorce. - Dick and Jan have two sons Richard Lee Penner of Charlotte, NC and Gregory Joseph Penner of Knoxville, TN.
Academic publications
- Allen Richar Penner, PhD, FieldingHenry FieldingHenry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
and CervantesMiguel de CervantesMiguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
: The Contribution of "Don Quixote" to "Joseph AndrewsJoseph AndrewsJoseph Andrews, or The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams, was the first published full-length novel of the English author and magistrate Henry Fielding, and indeed among the first novels in the English language...
" and "Tom JonesThe History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingThe History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often known simply as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by the English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. First published on 28 February 1749, Tom Jones is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel...
" (dissertation) University of Colorado at Boulder (1965) - Allen Richard Penner, Alan SillitoeAlan SillitoeAlan Sillitoe was an English writer and one of the "Angry Young Men" of the 1950s.. He disliked the label, as did most of the other writers to whom it was applied.- Biography :...
, Twayne Publishers (1972) - Allen Richard Penner, Fiction of the Absurd; Pratfalls in the Void – a critical anthology, New American LibraryNew American LibraryNew American Library is an American publisher based in New York, founded in 1948; it produced affordable paperback reprints of classics and scholarly works, as well as popular, pulp, and "hard-boiled" fiction. Non-fiction, original, and hardcopy issues were also produced.Victor Weybright and Kurt...
(1980) - Allen Richard Penner, Countries of the mind: the fiction of J.M. Coetzee, Greenwood Press (1989)
- Allen Richard Penner, Illuminations Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
(2001)