Billy Haley (William John Clifton Haley), singer, guitarist, and 'The first Rock 'n' Roll star' was born on this day in 1925. His band ‘The Comets’ had success in 1955 in both the UK & US, with No.1 single 'Rock Around the Clock'. Haley was one of the earliest acts to bring rock and roll to the attention of the USA and the rest of the world, selling over 60 million records during his career. Haley died on 9th February 1981.
His first visit to Cardiff in Feb 1957 prompted newspapers to warn of the possibility of riots and police were were taking "special precautions" to see that Haley's fans "the Cats" did not go "wild" at both concerts at the Capitol Theatre. Haley made another return to Cardiff in Sept 1964 and again in May 1968, both concerts held at Sophia Gardens.
Comets fan Kevin O'Connor, from Barry, recalls the day in 1957 that he bought Haley a bottle of whisky:
“Three days before my 15th birthday, I met Bill Haley backstage at The Capitol, Cardiff, during the concert. This was because my grandfather, Sidney Redmond, was the chief operator of the cinema at that time. He often took me in to work with him and I met a lot of the musicians who gave concerts at The Capitol, such as the original Platters and Shirley Bassey.”
“Bill and his band were very friendly to me and we chatted for quite a time. Then Bill, in his American accent, said: "Say, Kevin, want to do me a favour? Will you go out and get me a bottle of whisky?" I, of course, agreed and he gave me a £5 note (a lot of money in those days).”
“I went to the nearest off-licence and was back in five minutes with the whisky. Sadly, I forgot to get his autograph, which would be worth a few pence now. I watched the show from backstage and it was great! I was amazed at the antics of the band. They didn't just play, they danced and jumped about. There was a great atmosphere and the auditorium was jam-packed. I particularly remember the bass player as he laid his large full-size instrument down on the floor to play it.”
”I bought a lot of Bill's records over the years, and I wish I could say that meeting Bill Haley and his band inspired me to become a professional musician, but it didn't. However, I have been responsible for drinking the odd glass of whisky over the years, so perhaps he did have some effect on me!”
Newspaper article (1957) warning Cardiff’s Rock ‘n’ Roll fans to maintain order during Haley’s upcoming concert in the Welsh Capital. The Rock and Roll genre was demonised at the time, especially in the mainsteam media.
Credit: Western Mail
