Bill Haley and Rocket 88

The group was formed as Bill Haley and the Saddlemen c. 1949-1952, and to most countries and western songs, though sometimes with bluesy nuance. Many Saddlemen recordings would not be released before the 1970 and 1980, and highlights include romantic ballads like "Rose of My Heart" and western swing songs like "Your Blues Away yodel." The founding members of this group Haley, pianist and accordion player Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson, steel guitar. Al Thompson first time the bass player group, followed by Al Rex and Marshall Lytle. During the early years the group has been noted by other names, including Johnny Clifton and his String Band and Reno Browne and his Buckaroos (although Browne, the idol of women at that time did not appear in the notes).

Haley began to rock and roll career with a cover of "Rocket 88" was recorded for the label based in Philadelphia Holiday Records in 1951 which sold well and followed by a recovery in 1940 called rhythm and blues "Rock the Joint" in 1952 (this time for the sister company of the festival, Essex Records). Both songs were released under the name Saddlemen increasingly bizarre. It soon became clear that the new name is necessary to fit the band's music now plays. A friend of Haley, a common alternative pronunciation notes name of Halley's Comet to rhyme with Bailey, suggested that Haley call the band The Comets. (The event was quoted in the biography of Haley and Glory by John Haley and John von Hoelle, and Bill Haley by John Swenson.)

The new name is applied in the fall of 1952. At that time, members of Haley, Grande, Williamson, and Lytle. Grande usually played piano on record, but switched to the accordion to see life as it is more portable than the piano and easier to handle during the musical numbers involving a lot of dancing around. Immediately after changing the group name, Haley has hired its first drummer, Charlie Higl although Higl soon replaced by Dick Boccelli (aka Dick Richards). Meanwhile (and elsewhere, until the late fall 1955), Haley does not have a permanent lead guitar, has chosen to use session musicians on record and the guitar Over playing alone or solo Williamson has a steel instead.

Slap bass return, identifying the characteristics of rockabilly, be used recordings of the comet of "Rocket 88", "Rock the Joint", "Rock Around the Clock" and "Shake, Rattle, and Roll."