Memphis rocks Hall of Fame with Bill Black, DJ Fontanta, others
It proved to be a big day for Memphis on Wednesday as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its annual list of inductees, including bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana of Elvis Presley's band and Southern soul musician Spooner Oldham.
The Cleveland-based Hall of Fame confirmed an eight-member class that included British rock guitarist Jeff Beck, heavy metal merchants Metallica, rap pioneers Run-DMC and early R&B outfit Little Anthony and the Imperials.
The late Black, Fontana and Oldham were elected in the sidemen category.
Las Vegas News Bureau
Elvis Presley with the boys; D.J. Fontana (left), Scotty Moore (center) and Bill Black in Las Vegas May 4, 1956. Elvis was making his first Vegas appearance at the New Frontier Hotel April 23 - May 9, 1956. Hotel hype named him "The Atomic Powered Singer".
EMI Archives
Bobby Womack during the mid-1970s.
The Commercial Appeal files
From left: Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D.J. Fontana in an undated photograph. The three backed Elvis Presley.
Spooner Oldham
Wanda Jackson
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Black and guitarist Scotty Moore -- who was inducted in 2000 -- met Presley in early 1954 and formed the core of his backing outfit, known as the Blue Moon Boys. Fontana, a Louisiana-raised drummer, joined the outfit late that year and remained with Presley until 1969.
After leaving Presley's group, Black went on to enjoy success with his own Bill Black's Combo, scoring a succession of instrumental hits for the local Hi label. He died in 1965 at age 39. The Bill Black combo would carry on for another decade without him, winning a country Grammy in 1976.
Southern songwriter and ace session pianist Oldham spent a good portion of his career in Memphis. The Alabama native made his name playing on records by Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and many other R&B and soul artists in the '60s and '70s.
Oldham, who also worked with Bob Dylan and Neil Young, continues to be an in-demand studio and road hand for contemporary bands including the Drive-By Truckers and Amos Lee.
Another honoree in the performer category was soul man Bobby Womack, who spent several years in the late-'60s in Memphis, working at Chips Moman's American Studios as a guitarist and songwriter before launching his career as a solo hitmaker.
In the "early influence" category, the Hall chose to honor rockabilly hellcat Wanda Jackson, one of the earliest and most influential female performers in the genre. The Oklahoma-born Jackson, originally a country performer, was encouraged to embrace rock and roll by Elvis Presley in the mid-'50s and the two also briefly dated.
Inductees are chosen by the 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. The induction ceremonies will be held at the Public Hall in Cleveland on April 4.
-- Bob Mehr: 529-2517
Rocking into history
Tickets to this year's induction ceremonies at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland will be available to the general public for the first time in the event's history. The April 4 program will broadcast live on Fuse TV. For more information, go to rockhall.com.
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