Rory Blackwell

Rory Blackwell (born 22 June 1933 in Battersea, London) is a British former rock and roll musician, bandleader of The Blackjacks, singer, drummer and songwriter.

Blackwell founded the first British rock and roll band, and put on rock and roll at Studio 51 in September 1956, and at the The 2i's Coffee Bar and on 24 January 1957 gave his very first job to Terry Dene, then Terry Williams, fronting him at the Razzle Dazzle Club billed as 'the new' singing sensation Terry Williams'.

Rory and his Blackjacks starred in the 1957 film Rock You Sinners. Directed by Dennis Kavanagh, it also starred Art Baxter, Jackie Collins, and Tony Crombie.

In 1959, Blackwell spotted the 16-year-old pianist Clive Powell (Georgie Fame) in a summer holiday camp in Wales, where he offered him a job as a piano player with The Blackjacks. After the season ended, Powell left as new opportunities arose.

They recorded "Bye Bye Love", later covered by The Everly Brothers. Blackwell had a number of successes with "Bony Moronie", "Red Roses", "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast", "Great Balls of Fire", and "Rory's Rock", then toured Europe and the UK with stars from the US.

In 1968, Rory Blackwell's 1968 Rock'n'roll Show Live (EMI/Parlophone) was released with the tracks: "Let's Have a Party", "Rock Around the Clock", "Great Balls of Fire", "Be Bop a Lula", "Shake Rattle and Roll", "Hound Dog", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Bony Moronie", "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Rory's Rock".

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