Newswire R.I.P. Billy Lee Riley

by Keith Phipps August 4, 2009

Billy Lee Riley, a rockabilly pioneer from Arkansas who never became a household name, has died of cancer at the age of 75, the New York Times is reporting. Riley recorded for Sun Records at the same time as Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. At Sun, Riley was, to his frustration, a perpetual also-ran, never getting the fame or attention of his contemporaries, particularly once Sun head Sam Phillips settled on Lewis as his next big star after Presley's departure. Still, the Riley catalog is littered with memorable songs like "Red Hot" and the extraterrestrial-fixated "Flyin' Saucers Rock And Roll." (Riley's backing band was called The Little Green Men.)

Riley settled on session work then left music entirely, but in recent years had enjoyed the support of rockabilly cultists. Here's Riley performing "Red Hot" in the UK in 2007:

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