Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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EDDY, Duane

(b 26 April '38, Corning NY) Rock'n'roll guitarist. To Phoenix at 13, already playing; local disc jockey/promoter Lee Hazlewood and guitarist Al Casey helped invent gimmick of 'twangy' sound: instrumental hits had simple melody lines played on bass strings, heavily amplified. Second single was 'Rebel Rouser', no. 6 hit USA '58 and still a nostalgic sound, followed by 14 top 40 hits USA '58--63: 'Forty Miles Of Bad Road' no. 9 '59; appeared in film and had hit with title 'Because They're Young' no. 4 '60; TV theme 'Peter Gunn' no. 27 '60: a remake by Art of Noise big '86 hit; Eddy described them as his modern equivalent. Group called the Rebels toured with Dick Clark, incl. Casey, Steve Douglas on sax (d 19 April '93 aged 54), Larry Knechtel on piano (later with Bread). Switched from Clark's Jamie label to RCA '62, to Col-Pix '65. Plays in oldies shows more popular in UK than USA. Prod. LP by Phil Everly '73; had UK hit 'Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar' no. 9 '75; 'You Are My Sunshine' '77 on Asylum prod. by Hazlewood with vocals by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings (married to Eddy's ex-wife Jessi Colter). Compilation Twang Thang on Rhino incl. Art of Noise.