Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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BLACK, Bill

(b 17 December 1926, Memphis TN; d there 21 October 1965) Bass, bandleader. He played stand-up bass in C&W bands, in '54 with a neighbour, guitarist Scotty Moore, in Doug Poindexter's Starlite Wranglers, who recorded at Sun Records. They played as Scotty and Bill with Elvis Presley, from the beginning ('That's All Right' '54), going on the road with Presley as a trio, at first sharing the money 50-25-25; later drummer D. J. Fontana was added. They were augmented on RCA records from '56 with session players and vocal group the Jordanaires. Moore and Black finally quit because of low pay for arduous touring while Presley was getting rich: Jordanaire Gordon Stoker said, 'Scotty and Bill really got a going over. Nobody will ever know how bad.'

Black formed his own Bill Black Combo '59, switching to electric bass; the original lineup was Carl McAvoy, piano; Reggie Young, guitar; Jerry Arnold, drums; Martin Wills, sax; they recorded for the local Hi label, their instrumental work linking pre- rock country music with later bass-heavy Southern soul sounds. They first charted with 'Smokie Part 2' late '59 (no. 17 USA), followed by 'White Silver Sands' (no. 9 '60), other top 40 hits 'Josephine', 'Don't Be Cruel', 'Blue Tango', all '60, 'Hearts Of Stone', 'Ole Buttermilk Sky' '61, 'Twist-Her' '62 before Black retired from touring. The group received Billboard's Most Played Instrumental accolade three times in the early '60s.

Black was replaced by Bob Tucker; the personnel at times included Bobby Emmons, piano; Ace Cannon, sax (b 4 May 1934, Grenada MS; had his own instrumental hits on Hi '61-4). The combo backed Gene Simmons on his hit 'Haunted House' '64, and continued operating under Black's name after his death from a brain tumour. They were still active in the '80s with Tucker, tending to crowd-pleasing country instrumentals.