Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins emerged in the 1950s around the same time as Elvis Presley, with a similar blend of country and R&B. He was denied Elvis-level fame due to poor timing, bad breaks, and a relative lack of the sex appeal that aided Presley's career. Nevertheless, Perkins was one of rock & roll's first great auteurs, and his early work was a crucial element of the rockabilly template. His songs were covered by everyone from the Beatles to the King himself, and when he died in 1998 he was eulogized as a giant of rock & roll.
































