BILL HALEY 1979

The first record I bought was 'Rock Around The Clock' by Bill Haley and the Comets, a 78rpm one.
This is from the Royal Variety Show of 1979 recorded at Theatre Royal Drury Lane where my father was the Manager.
Bill Haley died just 15 months later at the age of 55 most likely from a heart attack'.

[@dynjarren8355]

Thank God for KZbin! Because this a reminder of how great Bill Haley was live. And this was in 1979 when he was in his fifties! Amazing! He sounds exactly the same as he did in the Fifties! Rock around the Clock was the first big Rock n Roll hit that sparked the fire that became a revolution in music. He got overlooked by Elvis because of his looks. Let’s face it, Elvis was the total package and was unstoppable then. So he’s been passed over but Haley’s music has lasted the test of time. There were plenty of other good songs that he sang like See you later Alligator and Shake, Rattle and Roll,etc! He wasn’t just a one hit wonder but Rock around the Clock was his biggest hit! RIP Bill Haley- A Rock n Roll Pioneer!

[@JeremyHoare]

Totally agree!

[@elcaifanmastacvbo273]

Pongo a bill arriba de Haley por el componía y Elvis no lo hacía.

[@dynjarren8355]

He still had it in 1979! This is the music that kicked off the Rock n Roll Revolution!

[@goldeneve]

Yup

[@mckinleycason8884]

He sounds EXACTLY the same!

[@alishataylor6017]

❤️

[@paulrolf9011]

Yes,he does

[@johnflanagan9153]

You are aware he was only 52 when this was recorded? His music wasn't vocally demanding. It's not like a selection from the Led Zeppelin or Yes catalog.

[@bikewurks1757]

The father of Rock and Roll.....the moves the comets we're doing while strumming the guitars are still used to this day

[@AlexFrazer-Harrison]

This was the final recorded performance of Bill Haley doing Rock Around the Clock too (and his final appearance on TV). It was the final night of his fall 1979 European tour and he went out on top playing for the Queen (videos purporting to be the farewell concert were actually recorded in the spring of 1979, well before his true farewell). He went on to do one final set of performances in South Africa in the spring of 1980 but no footage is known to exist from that. So this was a milestone performance. Also, Haley tended to drop a verse and the second instrumental break of Clock in his later years, so it's a good thing he did the full version here! Trivia - the smiling guitar player with the beard is Chico Ryan, formerly of Sha Na Na! And the guitar player at the far right is Mal Gray who was the leader of a group called the Wild Angels. None of these Comets played with Haley before 1979 but I think they picked up the sound pretty well!

[@JeremyHoare]

Many thanks for the great background info.

[@NumberOneCookieMuncher]

This guy was always smiling. Imagine doing the same song for decades? I think i would lose my mind but these singers do it over and over and over, and they smile. I guess that's the part of singing that isn't easy. They have to act happy and excited and repeat the same thing for like 30-60 years

[@maximem1033]

Well, if they were THAT bored of doing this, they would have just Split up, I think that they were happy to do their works with the one and only Bill Haley 😊

[@NumberOneCookieMuncher]

Well, ​@maximem1033 maybe they still want to make the money.

[@arlettephilbois9225]

Toute ma jeunesse...merci

[@Aussiefilipina70]

He never lost his ability as a singer

[@marionhtjtlu]

I was just reading about his late years, his alcohol relationship! and yet he looks sharp playing and singing...

[@peterjason731]

Great voice..Instantly created great atmosphere.All dressed.No flashing lights.No smoke.All playing instruments.Just great👍🍺

[@motorheadrocker6504]

Maybe, its too many guitars for simple song like this) Two guitars will be enough, probably)

[@oldsweat2]

Bill was always loved in the UK. What a great performance, those Comets were brilliant as well!

[@grega1972]

This is the command performance you get when you Don't fuck with the Formula , alot of performers were guilty of messing with their own songs up to the point where they weren't even recognizable . BILL knew to play what the people wanted to hear the way it was meant to be played !!!!😊

[@jorgefeijoo8563]

Lo mejor de lo mejor ❤❤

[@kookadams85]

One of THE TRUE kings of rock along w/ Chuck & Elvis, Buddy, Eddie....

[@Lanutriatraviesa]

What a beautiful country was USA then

[@philippewoiret9599]

C'était le meilleur

[@jameshoagland9660]

Yeah. We let to many foreigners in.

[@Lanutriatraviesa]

@@jameshoagland9660 I agree, but some of them are nevesary, not to many. Politically Correct have been a big problem

[@kevingoins9858]

Still is!!

[@christopherwilson5212]

@@jameshoagland9660 Yeah, starting with too many Europeans.

[@johngiovine8792]

Bill Haley was a true Rock 'n Roll Pioneer!

[@normanalvarez5751]

Good days

[@cooldaddy2877]

not 'a'...'the'.

[@AthelstanEngland]

Amazing he looked the same here as twenty five years earlier!

[@nicholas2836]

Such a clean sound , text book , the zen Master

[@BT-ir5zl]

Good sounding band. Not many artists can do their signature songs 25 years after the fact and pull it off that good.

[@martyzielinski1442]

The Cowsills, (and half of them are dead) The Seekers, Little Peggy March.........still sound great 50 YEARS LATER!

[@gtyler7451]

Wow never saw this before....sounds great...no music like this anymore

[@bohemialite6371]

He had such a unique voice perfect for the era of rock and roll 50s rock and roll.

[@kimterry4239]

His guitar players were awesome. Way ahead of their time.

[@rodrigoraulsuarez]

True. Really special and powerful voice.

[@alvarojr.339]

I saw Bill Haley and the Comets here in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1975 at an amusement park...What a performance! The King of Rock and Roll!

[@anababic61]

Bill Haley was great !

[@patrickgeis2176]

He was the first to Fuze genres before their was such a thing as genres.

[@thelakeman5207]

He was still rippin' it up in 1979!

[@paulrolf9011]

Yes,he was!!

[@SuperSklarman]

Great clip...from a time when entertainers dressed like entertainers, and performed!

[@patrickgeis2176]

Bring that sound and music back!

[@abizzareperson4429]

@Finanz Ferdinand Nah that 50s era needs to come back into the world

[@myrnacrowe629]

Bill Haley is very good music!!!

[@smokeybinionjr.5723]

Bill Haley Gone, But Not Forgotten. Forever Rockin' Around The Clock. Rest In Peace. From Smokey Binion, Jr.

[@roccotracanna163]

I was 12 when Rock Around The Clock came out. Seems like Yesterday. Always liked it. RIP Bill.

[@freizeit8117]

For many Rockabillies everything started with Elvis. But for me everything started with Bill Haley when he died in 1981.They played his songs in the radio up and down.

[@silvanacastagno6455]

Te conocí en Buenos Aires,cuando tenía 15 años y baile en el cine Rex....tan emocionada. ..vos y Elvis me enseñaron a amar el rock

[@mauricecoffey5490]

Judge an act by the performance reaction of the audience. Rock around the clock lifted the roof off. Recorded in 1954 and still cutting it in 1979!!

[@wayneconn1079]

I got to play with the original comets and oh boy !! What a night . This is the real deal . Bill was a great artist . America forgot about them

[@heikebohne8864]

Bill Haley a legend as Elvis. Rest in Peace. 😁🎸🎸🎸

[@ataylor2112]

Crazy story towards the end of his life….lived in Harlingen Texas. Died at only 55. He was truly a pioneer.

[@jens589]

Seine Urne wurde nie gefunden.

[@ginger1959able]

The King plays for the Queen!

[@bryanpalmer9660]

Bill Haley never sounded better than he did here-I remember when he passed away RIP Bill you were one of the best Auckland New Zealand 2021

[@andyharris17able]

The reason I love this original rock and roll . Nothing beats this ..,👍

[@calvinbealer7264]

No Question about it. Mr. Haley and his Comets definitely deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

[@ryanhammel2658]

What a voice!

[@billyrocca9029]

Humble man at work. Thank you Mr Haley.

[@stephengarai5232]

I'm Dedicating this to my buddy Rodney Lytle who's father was a big part of the band ....

[@martinbarendse9287]

Dear Stephen Garai I have two productions for your buddy Rodney Lytle, named the house is rockin' 1997 and another title Mijn eerste grammofoonplaat. I hope you will like it. Greetings from Martin Barendse, the Netherlands.

[@davidpike9590]

Brilliant! The Father of R'n'R... Even H.M. The Queen congratulated Bill, afterwards..

[@bernhardnizynski4403]

Great to hear the original guitar solo in Rock Around the Clock!

[@fanatica67]

In this video he was 54, and his voice sounded exactly as in 1958. Great!

[@jlouis4407]

He really does sound fantastic

[@josedanilla2933]

El verdadero rey, y padre del rock and roll.El más grande.saludos desde Chile👍👍👍👏👏👏

[@kennyhall2118]

Wow! You are Something Special!.

[@AnthonyKiyola]

Great sound

[@johnpenfold5678]

I am a massive Elvis fan. This man started it all the grandfather of roll and roll legend.

[@2009framat]

Bill Haley started early with Rock & Roll but Fats Domino played even earlier Rock & Roll when Bill and his Saddlemen played still C&W

[@neilfranklin5644]

Elvis made rock n roll sexy, but bill wrote some of the 1st white rock and roll songs, elvis was more of a stylist taking blues tunes, country tunes from other artists and re arranged them along with a shot of gospel. That is why Bill is the main man in my eyes ,I also like the sound he gets with the brass instruments and drums which elvis only got later on.

[@johnpenfold5678]

@@neilfranklin5644 well said 👍

[@heikebohne8864]

Me as Elvis too, but there a pics, Elvis and Bill together backstage 🆒

[@samjones6762]

Bill Haley and those great rock n roll shows!

[@briancox3691]

I saw Bill in London in 1956. Here the Comets lineup has changed, but Bill sounds as great as ever.

[@briancox3691]

@@michaeljonn2397 Yes!

[@tonicest7304]

O que é bom dura para sempre, VIVA Bill Haley

[@hogfest5047]

ALWAYS EXCELLENT A TRUE SHOWMAN !

[@melande-ru7ro]

Bill Haley was great

[@JR-dd8bf]

Crazy Man, crazy...

[@MapleSyrupPoet]

Wonderful says, "America ...we do this"

[@cabborgesbarbosa2164]

Este cara é rock sempre será adoro suas canções 👍🤝👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🇧🇷

[@rubenmartin3994]

Dad would blast Bill Haley every weekend drinking his Lucky Larger Beer. RIP Dad and Bill.

[@mattcollier5957]

The Original KING OF ROCK N ROLL, Although im a Buddy Holly fanatic 100% i have to say this is the INSTIGATOR of Rock N Roll

[@del2591]

Bill is rightly regarded as the King of RnR & Buddy has deffo influenced many of today's musicians. But for me I'd say the genre started back in the 40's; have a listen to 'Cab's Boogie' & 'Jumping Jive' by Cab Calloway then 'Numbers Boogie' & 'Caldonia' by Frank 'Sugar Chile' Robinson, you won't be disappointed.... 👍👍👍

[@mattcollier5957]

@@del2591 Yeah, ive got those tunes, play them on a regular basis, they are killer tunes, I agree Bill is the instigator, Buddy was the Master and Pioneer

[@del2591]

@@mattcollier5957great minds clearly think alike; I saw Bill at Caister '79, the performance was 1st class. But when it comes to Buddy, for me his best track is 'Down the Line'; pure raw energy unlike the more commercial efforts of 'Rave On' etc. Bill, Buddy, Cab etc will always be listened to in the future unlike the rubbish that's around now methinks. Keep on rockin' Matt! 👍👍👍

[@mattcollier5957]

@@del2591Hey Caister, yeah the good days, Down the Line, awesome track, i love Rave On though, its the pinnicle of Rock N Roll, Yea love that raw energy that Buddy created with Changing all those Changes also Midnight Shift, thats music, yes unlike the rubbish today. 100% AGREE. Keep Rockin Man

[@angelocalo747]

Si dopo Elvis!

[@marie-christinecarrion4340]

cela fait vraiment plaisir d'écouter et de voir bill haley

[@databasedan6833]

A voice so haunting it’s from beyond the grave…..

[@sambeach2726]

Apparently one of the Queens favourite performers.

[@elvislandersonoliveira4288]

Quando eu era criança minha irmã me chamava de bill halley, que honra de saber quem é essa lenda do rock in roll

[@JR-dd8bf]

Cool

[@leonardorodriguesramos7866]

Estsvs voando, cai aqui. Que raridades, reliquias. Da gosto ver esses verdadeiros Artistas cantarem dançarem., hoje, alguns, tentam imitalos com duas danças, plageanfo duas músicas. Que pro momento, é sucesso. Só que sempre foi sucesso, em.outro idioma. Fascinante bom de assistir, e ouvir. Parabéns s todos de Bom Gosto. 27 9 21 Fort.Ce. BR.

[@bobcarter4343]

My first records ever were Haley's... those were some fun days.

[@nilsonaraujo4212]

Bill ... beautiful! 2021- Brasil.

[@vernwallen4246]

"Rock around the clock"was the sound track for the classic"Black board jungle".Rock n'roll shot off like a sky rocket.🗽👍

[@YodaBannon]

Icon of Rock and Roll.

[@johnastrup1549]

King Rockn ROLL BILL HALEY 🎤🎸🌟

[@alsoprano3219]

The beginning of rock and roll how things change

[@Harp_and_Guitar_Moving_Forward]

Best years of my life were listening to this and I didn't even know it. Haley, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers. What we have now can't compare. No stand out stars anymore

[@Ruda-n4h]

You need character and they isn't anyone with that.

[@singaravelsanjai7812]

All time Favourite

[@johnmullins3157]

To rock around the clock is always a good time to do it.

[@thomasdearment3214]

back in the day the 60s if you wanted to pull a prank on someone. you signed them up to the record clubs for a Penney you could get ten maybe more albums, with the promise to buy four at the outrage's prices of the day. someone pulled that prank on my brother and I one of the albums we got was Bill Haley, well we played that record until you could hear side two, fun stuff the father of R & R,

[@davidgarcia3597]

Talk about a dead ringer, holy crap.... Awesome...

[@nilzaschroeder8759]

Ritmo delicioso pra ouvir, relembrar momentos e sonhar!

[@massimoverrengia33]

Mi ricorda la mia infanzia. Grande ❤

[@steveperry1344]

we had a lot of his 45's back when. this really takes you back.

[@Scrapper.]

Wow, I didn't know until I was today old that Bill Haley performed so late in his life. A great man taken too soon, tormented by alcoholism and mental illness.

[@people51911]

mental illnes, alcoholism. fuck you. You don" t know shit about enything, you litttlle shit. Bill past away becouse of brain cancer.

[@prikprak1970]

STUNNING !!!!!! 😃❤👍

[@alexandrerolim6827]

Viva o Rock & Roll. Viva os anos 50, 60, 70 e 80. Longa vida ao Rock & Roll. Elvis 4Ever 🎸🇧🇷

[@juanolguin2470]

Me encanta la música de esta época.

[@adrianadominguez4040]

Viejo bill nunca tuvist el reconocimiento que t merecias fuiste superado x otros artistas de rok pero fuiste el primero y eso como en el amor tiene su inportancia relativa.

[@MaverickX36]

God bless you, Bill!

[@yellyman5483]

Terrific performance.

[@milansebera]

bill haley fantastiko 2021,

[@t.j.7358]

1:00 ... what a perfect intro ... R.I.P. great master

[@georgeanderson7499]

The founding father of rock and roll!

[@จันทร์พรส์สุธาสินี]

2021 bill haley i am still love to see you and your comet wowwwww

[@maurooctavioaxel9033]

Outstanding...

[@Voxac100b]

Brilliant perfect voice same look. Poor Bill you'd never have thought he had serious health issues by this time

[@dasssssjjss3036]

Bil, nos hacia, bailar, al ritmo,del relog,.que recuerdos..

[@maxramali1443]

He still was great!

[@sidewalks22]

That person singing would rock so heavily

[@hectornunez7401]

Fenómeno sin igual

[@antdell8730]

A legend.

[@elflamen]

Fantastic document!!!

[@davidkastin4240]

The lead guitarist is who I want to hear as well. He's good, Bill playing rythem 🎸

[@Cheerfultoday]

Dave “Chico” Ryan from Sha Na Na was there, too, playing bass. What a great addition to the Comets!

[@that5thundecidedtoothpaste309]

Hard to believe he died at only 55 years old just two years later.

[@glennweaver3014]

His early death was largely due to many years of alcoholism which created a number of other health problems.

[@RIOBRAVOful]

I saw him on this tour at the Colston Hall B ristol, the place erupted! and does anyone recognise the great "Chico Ryan" of Sha Na Na fame on guitar?

[@TheTmny876able]

Bill invented rock and roll, remember that !

[@JeremyHoare]

I do, first record I ever bought!

[@stanislavpanov8732]

The great man!