Billy "Crash" Craddock
| Billy "Crash" Craddock | |
|---|---|
Craddock in 1971
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Billy Wayne Craddock |
| Also known as | Bill Craddock Crash Craddock Billy Craddock Billy Crash Mr. Country Rock The King Of Country Rock Music |
| Born | June 16, 1939 |
| Origin | Greensboro, North Carolina, United States |
| Genres |
Country Rockabilly |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1957–present |
| Labels |
Sky Castle (1957) Colonial (1957) Date (1958) Columbia (1958-1961) Mercury (1961-1962) King (1964-1965) Chart (1966-1968) Cartwheel (1971-1972) ABC (1973-1978) Capitol (1978-1983) Cee Cee (1983, 2006) MCA (1986) Atlantic (1989) |
| Associated acts |
The Bluenotes Elvis Presley Conway Twitty Jerry Lee Lewis Mickey Gilley Charlie Rich |
| Website | billycrashcraddock.net |
Billy "Crash" Craddock (born June 16, 1939) is an American country and rockabilly singer. He first gained popularity in Australia in the 1950s with a string of rockabilly hits, including the Australian number one hit "Boom Boom Baby". Switching to country music, he gained popularity in United States in the 1970s with a string of top ten country hits, several of which were number one hits, including "Rub It In", "Broken Down in Tiny Pieces", and "Ruby Baby". Craddock is known to fans as "The King Of Country Rock Music " and "Mr. Country Rock" for his uptempo rock-influenced style of country music.
Billy Wayne Craddock was born June 16, 1939 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He learned how to play guitar from his oldest brother when he was six. At age 11, he entered a local television talent contest and was voted top winner for 15 consecutive weeks. Craddock received the nickname "Crash" while a running back for his high school football team. After he left high school, he formed a rockabilly band with one of his brothers called The Four Rebels. His early influences included Little Jimmy Dickens, Ray Price, and Hank Williams.
Craddock's first release was "Smacky-Mouth", which was recorded in 1957 for the local Greensboro Sky Castle label. He released his next single, titled "Birddoggin'", on Colonial Records. It was also released in 1957.
He soon got a deal with Columbia's Date Records. He released "Ah, Poor Little Baby" with no success. The song was covered in England by Adam Faith. He began recording for Columbia Records in 1958, recording rockabilly and pop tunes. He was marketed as a teen idol by Columbia, as they needed an artist to compete with Elvis. He appeared twice on American Bandstand but failed to have a hit in the U.S. The only song that charted in the U.S. was Don't Destroy Me, which peaked at No. 94 for one week in November 1959. He did, however, become very popular in Australia. He also recorded some songs that become synonymous with other artistes. He recorded "Am I to Be the One" and "I Want That", which were covered most notably by Jerry Lee Lewis and UK rockers Johnny Kidd and the Pirates.
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