NW MUSIC: THE SAGA OF "LOUIE, LOUIE."

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays detailing the long history of the Northwest's signature rock 'n' roll song: "Louie, Louie." From 1957, when Richard Berry brought his song here from California; to Seattle's Dave Lewis Combo rockin' it at the Birdland; to its adoption by the Playboys, Little Bill & the Bluenotes, and the Viceroys; to radio hit versions by Rockin' Robin & the Wailers, the Kingsmen, and Paul Revere & the Raiders; then the Sonics booming it for all eternity; a humorous 1980s campaign to get the ditty named Washington State's "official rock song," and ever onwards...

NW MUSIC: 1950s ROCKABILLY

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays about the history of 1950s rockabilly music in the Northwest. From the first gigs in the region by Bill Haley and his Comets in 1955, right on through subsequent ones by Gene Vincent & the Bluecaps,  Buddy Holly & the Crickets, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and all the other touring stars from the deep south and Hollywood. And then the rise of homegrown rockabillies and rockabelles like Clayton Watson & the Silhouettes, the Benny Cliff Trio, Sherree Scott & the Melody Rockers, and more...

NW MUSIC: COUNTRY & FOLK

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays about the history of hillbilly, country/western, and folk music in the Northwest. From early rural sounds, to Wobbly anthems, pioneering country bands, regional radio hits, roadhouse hoe-downs, folk balladeers, and 1960s folk-rockers.

NW MUSIC: JAZZ, R&B & SOUL

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays about the history of jazz, rhythm & blues, gospel, and soul music in the Northwest. From the earliest jazz gig at Washington Hall; to the founding of the "Negro Musicians' Union;" the rise of Seattle's Jackson Street jazz scene and its stars Ray Charles, Bumps Blackwell, Ernestine Anderson, & Quincy Jones; the coming of '50s R&B and doo-wop; and the emergence of a gospel tradition and a soul scene.

NW MUSIC: THE GUITAR-MAKERS

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays about the history of guitar-making and guitar-instruction in the Northwest. From Seattle's Otto Anderson and Port Townsend's Chris Knutsen and their lutherie shops in the 1890s; to Frank Coulter designing and building wild new instruments in the 'teens and '20s [essay coming soon!]; Paul Tutmarc and John Coppock both going electric in the 1930s; Seattle's remarkable franchise schools (the National Institute of Music & Arts) for kids, and onwards to Harvey Thomas' eccentric and eye-popping guitars, Dave Bunker and his visionary "Touch" guitars, and more...

NW MUSIC: STUDIOS & LABELS

BELOW ARE LINKS to essays about the history of audio-recording & record companies in the Northwest. From the first field trips here by outside companies seeking to record local talents back during the Roaring '20s; to the founding of early homegrown studios and pioneering record companies; to notable early regional radio hits and singing stars; the rise of legendary sound engineers like Joe Boles and Kearney Barton; and the back-stories of numerous successful local labels.

NW MUSIC: ROCK 'N' ROLL

BELOW ARE LINKS to chronologically ordered essays about the history of local rock 'n' roll, rockin'-R&B, doo-wop, rockabilly, Seattle Bandstand, "Louie, Louie," the original "Northwest Sound," teen-dances, Top-40 radio, pop, music at Seattle's 1962 World's Fair, folk-rock, psychedelia, blues, punk, New Wave, grunge, and more...