Editing Bill Haley

{{Short description|American rock and roll music pioneer (1925–1981)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Bill Haley
| image             = Bill Haley (1974).jpg
| alt               = Haley smiling
| caption           = Haley in 1974
| birth_name        = William John Clifton Haley
| origin            = [[Boothwyn, Pennsylvania|Boothwyn]], [[Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| birth_date        = {{birth date|1925|7|6|mf=y}}
| birth_place       = [[Highland Park, Michigan|Highland Park]], [[Michigan]], U.S.
| death_date        = {{death date and age|1981|2|9|1925|7|6|mf=y}}
| death_place       = [[Harlingen, Texas|Harlingen]], [[Texas]], U.S.
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Rock and roll]]|[[rockabilly]]|[[western swing]]}}
| occupations       = {{hlist|Singer-songwriter|musician|bandleader}}
| instrument        = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar|double bass}}
| years_active      = 1946–1980
| label             = {{hlist|[[Decca Records|Decca]]|[[London Records|London]]|[[Brunswick Records|Brunswick]]|[[Cowboy Records|Cowboy]]|[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]|[[Vogue Records|Vogue]]|[[Holiday Records|Holiday]]|[[Essex Records|Essex]]|[[Warner Bros. Records]]|[[Orfeón]]|[[Dimsa Records|Dimsa]]|[[Logo Records|Logo]]|[[Gone Records|Gone]]|[[United Artists Records|United Artists]]|[[Roulette Records|Roulette]]|[[Sonet Records|Sonet]]|[[Buddah Records|Buddah]]}}
| past_member_of   = {{hlist|[[Bill Haley & His Comets]]|The Down Homers}}
}}

'''William John Clifton Haley''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|eɪ|l|i}}; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American [[rock and roll]] musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group [[Bill Haley & His Comets]] and million-selling hits such as "[[Rock Around the Clock]]", "[[See You Later, Alligator]]", "[[Shake, Rattle and Roll]]", "[[Rocket 88]]", "[[Skinny Minnie]]", and "Razzle Dazzle". Haley has sold over 60 million records worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006426/bio|title=Bill Haley|website=IMDb|access-date=2018-10-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/bill-haley|title=Bill Haley|website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame|language=en|access-date=2018-10-24}}</ref>  In 1987, he was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].

==Early life and career==
Haley was born July 6, 1925, in [[Highland Park, Michigan|Highland Park]], [[Michigan]]. In 1929, the four-year-old Haley underwent an inner-ear mastoid operation which accidentally severed an optic nerve, leaving him blind in his left eye for the rest of his life. It is said that he adopted his trademark [[kiss curl]] over his right eye to draw attention from his left, but it also became his "gimmick", and added to his popularity.<ref name=Fuchs>{{cite book|last1=Fuchs|first1=Otto|title=Bill Haley: The Father of Rock & Roll|date=2014|publisher=Wagner|isbn=9783866839014|page=16}}</ref> As a result of the effects of the [[Great Depression]] on the [[Detroit]] area, his father moved the family to [[Bethel Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Bethel Township, Pennsylvania]], when Bill was seven years old.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Goodley|first1=George Walter|title=Bethel Township Delaware County, Pennsylvania Thru Three Centuries|date=1987|page=97}}</ref>  Haley's father William Albert Haley (1900–1956) was from [[Kentucky]] and played the [[banjo]] and [[mandolin]], and his mother, Maude Green (1895–1955), who was originally from [[Ulverston]] in [[Lancashire]], [[England]], was a technically accomplished [[keyboardist]] with classical training.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classicbands.com/haley.html|title=Bill Haley and his Comets|publisher=Classic Bands}}</ref> Haley told the story that when he made a simulated guitar out of cardboard, his parents bought him a real one.<ref>Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll. John Swenson. 1982. Stein and Day. pages 15, 17. {{ISBN|0-8128-2909-3}}</ref>

One of his first appearances was in 1938 for a Bethel Junior baseball team entertainment event, performing guitar and songs when he was 13 years old.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McCarrick|first1=Elizabeth|title=Bethel Township, Delaware County|date=2013|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|location=Charleston, South Carolina|isbn=978-0-7385-9818-5|page=105}}</ref>

The anonymous sleeve notes accompanying the 1956 Decca album ''Rock Around the Clock'' describe Haley's early life and career: "When Bill Haley was fifteen [c. 1940] he left home with his guitar and very little else and set out on the hard road to fame and fortune. The next few years, continuing this story in a fairy-tale manner, were hard and poverty-stricken, but crammed full of useful experience. Apart from learning how to exist on one meal a day and other artistic exercises, he worked at an open-air park show, sang and yodelled with any band that would have him, and worked with a traveling medicine show. Eventually he got a job with a popular group known as the 'Down Homers' while they were in [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]], [[Connecticut]]. Soon after this he decided, as all successful people must decide at some time or another, to be his own boss again – and he has been that ever since." These notes fail to account for his early band, known as the Four Aces of Western Swing. During the 1940s Haley was considered one of the top cowboy yodelers in America as "Silver Yodeling Bill Haley".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=13813 |title=Bill Haley and the Saddlemen |publisher=Hillbilly-Music.com |date=February 9, 1981 |access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> One source states that Haley started his career as "The Rambling Yodeler" in a country band, The Saddlemen.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kallen |first=Stuart |date=9 May 2012 |title=The History of American Pop |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zohmDwAAQBAJ&q=Crazy+Man%2C+Crazy+bill+haley+million&pg=PA33 |publisher=Greenhaven Publishing LLC |page=33 |isbn=978-1420506723}}</ref>

The sleeve notes conclude: "For six years Bill Haley was a musical director of Radio Station [[WPWA]] in [[Chester, Pennsylvania|Chester]], Pennsylvania, and led his own band all through this period. It was then known as Bill Haley's Saddlemen, indicating their definite leaning toward the tough Western style. They continued playing in clubs as well as over the radio around [[Philadelphia]], and in 1951 made their first recordings on Ed Wilson's Keystone Records in Philadelphia."  The group subsequently signed with [[Dave Miller (producer)|Dave Miller's]] [[Holiday Records]] and, on June 14, 1951, the Saddlemen recorded a cover of the [[Jackie Brenston|Delta Cats]] "[[Rocket 88]]".

==Bill Haley and His Comets==

{{main|Bill Haley & His Comets}}
During the Labor Day weekend in 1952, the Saddlemen were renamed '''Bill Haley with Haley's Comets'''. The name was inspired by the supposedly official pronunciation of [[Halley's Comet]] and was suggested by Bob Johnson, program director at radio station WPWA where Bill Haley had a live radio program from 12:00{{spaces}}noon to 1:00{{spaces}}p.m. In 1953, Haley's recording of "[[Crazy Man, Crazy]]" (co-written by Haley and his bass player, [[Marshall Lytle]], although Lytle would not receive credit until 2001) hit the American charts, peaking at number 12 on ''Billboard'' and number 11 on ''Cash Box''. Some sources indicate that this was the first [[rock and roll]] record in history, although [[rockabilly]] might be a more appropriate term.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kallen |first=Stuart |date=9 May 2012 |title=The History of American Pop |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zohmDwAAQBAJ&q=Crazy+Man%2C+Crazy+bill+haley+million&pg=PA33 |publisher=Greenhaven Publishing LLC |page=34 |isbn=978-1420506723 |accessdate=November 10, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/249571-Bill-Haley-With-Haleys-Comets-Crazy-Man-Crazy|title=Bill Haley With Haley's Comets* – Crazy Man, Crazy|date=July 6, 2017|work=Discogs|access-date=November 10, 2023|quote=Style: Rock & Roll, Rockabilly}}</ref> By the time this record was released, the group's name had been revised to using the term "Comets" instead of "Saddlemen".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/2135591-Bill-Haley-With-Haleys-Comets-Crazy-Man-Crazy|title=Bill Haley With Haley's Comets* – Crazy Man, Crazy|date=July 6, 2017|work=Discogs|access-date=November 10, 2023|quote=}}</ref>

[[File:Bill Haley, 1974, Liége 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Bill Haley and the Comets performing in 1974]]

In 1954, Haley recorded "[[Rock Around the Clock]]".<ref>Dawson 2005</ref> Initially, it was only a moderate success, peaking at number  36 on the ''Cash Box'' pop singles chart and staying on the charts for just two weeks.  On re-release, the record reached number one on July 9, 1955.

Haley had already had a worldwide hit with "[[Shake, Rattle and Roll]]", another [[rhythm and blues]] cover in this case from [[Big Joe Turner]],  which went on to sell a million copies and was the first rock 'n' roll song to enter the [[UK Singles Chart]] in December 1954, becoming a gold record. He retained elements of the original (which was slow blues), but sped it up with some country music aspects into the song (specifically, Western swing) and changed up the lyrics. Haley and his band were important in launching the music known as "Rock and Roll" to a wider audience after a period of it being considered an underground genre.

When "Rock Around the Clock" appeared as the theme song of the 1955 film ''[[Blackboard Jungle]]'' starring [[Glenn Ford]], it soared to the top of the American ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' chart for eight weeks. The single is commonly used as a convenient line of demarcation between the "rock era" and the music industry that preceded it. ''Billboard'' separated its statistical tabulations into 1890–1954 and 1955–present. After the record rose to number one, Haley became widely popular with those who had come to embrace the new style of music. With the song's success, the age of rock music began overnight and ended the dominance of the jazz and pop standards performed by [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Jo Stafford]], [[Perry Como]], [[Bing Crosby]], [[Eddie Fisher]], and [[Patti Page]]. "Rock Around the Clock" was also the first record to sell over one million copies in both [[UK|Britain]] and [[West Germany|Germany]]. [[Danny Cedrone]], not a member of The Comets, played the guitar solo on the record, though did not live long enough to see the song's success as he died shortly after the recording following a fall down stairs at his home, aged 33.

Bill Haley and the Comets performed "Rock Around the Clock" on the ''[[Texaco Star Theater]]'' hosted by [[Milton Berle]] on May 31, 1955, on [[NBC]] in an'' a cappella'' and lip-synched version. Berle predicted that the song would go number one: "A group of entertainers who are going right to the top." Berle also sang and danced to the song which was performed by the entire cast of the show. This was one of the earliest nationally televised performances by a rock and roll band and provided the new musical genre with a much wider audience.

Bill Haley and the Comets were the first rock and roll act to appear on American musical variety series the ''[[Ed Sullivan Show]]'' on August 7, 1955, on [[CBS]] in a broadcast that originated from the [[American Shakespeare Theatre|Shakespeare Festival Theater]] in [[Stratford, Connecticut]]. They performed a live version of "Rock Around the Clock" with Franny Beecher on lead guitar and Dick Richards on drums. The band made their second appearance on the show on Sunday, April 28, 1957, performing the songs "[[Rudy's Rock]]" and "Forty Cups of Coffee".

Later on in 1957, Haley became the first major American rock singer to tour Europe. Haley continued to score hits throughout the 1950s such as "[[See You Later, Alligator]]" and he starred in the first rock and roll musical films ''[[Rock Around the Clock (film)|Rock Around the Clock]]'' and ''[[Don't Knock the Rock]]'', both in 1956. Haley was already 30 years old, and his popularity was soon eclipsed in the United States by the younger [[Elvis Presley]], but continued to enjoy great popularity in Latin America, Europe, and Australia during the 1960s.

Bill Haley and the Comets appeared on ''[[American Bandstand]]'' hosted by [[Dick Clark]] on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] twice in 1957, on the prime time show October 28, 1957, and on the regular daytime show on November 27, 1957. The band also appeared on Dick Clark's ''Saturday Night Beechnut Show'', also known as ''[[The Dick Clark Show]]'', a primetime TV series from New York on March 22, 1958, during the first season and on February 20, 1960, performing "Rock Around the Clock"; "Shake, Rattle and Roll"; and "Tamiami".

== Personal life ==
===Marriages===
Haley was married at least three times:
* Dorothy Crowe (December 11, 1946 – November 14, 1952) (divorced, two children)
* Barbara Joan Cupchak (November 18, 1952 – 1960) (divorced, five children)
* Martha Valaesco (1963 – February 9, 1981)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania Center for the Book |url=https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/literary-cultural-heritage-map-pa/bios/Haley__Bill |access-date=2024-01-27 |website=pabook.libraries.psu.edu}}</ref>

===Children===
Haley had at least ten children. John W. Haley, his eldest son, wrote ''Sound and Glory'', a biography of Haley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BillHaley.html|title=Bill Haley 1925–1981|publisher=Rockabilly Hall of Fame|access-date=July 24, 2012|archive-date=May 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527231722/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/BillHaley.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> His youngest daughter, [[Gina Haley]], is a professional musician based in [[Texas]].<ref>Carman, Tim. [http://www.houstonpress.com/1995-05-18/music/rock-and-roll-royalty/1 "Rock and Roll Royalty"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012141943/http://www.houstonpress.com/1995-05-18/music/rock-and-roll-royalty/1/ |date=October 12, 2012 }}, ''[[The Houston Press]]'', Houston, May 18, 1995.</ref> Scott Haley is an athlete. His youngest son Pedro is also a musician.<ref name="Bruce Lee Smith"/>

He also had a daughter, Martha Maria, from his marriage with Martha Velasco.<ref name="Bruce Lee Smith"/>

Bill Haley Jr., Haley's second son and first with Joan Barbara "Cuppy" Haley-Hahn, publishes a regional business magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.422business.com/about_us.html|title=Route 422 Business Advisor – About Us|publisher=Route 422 Business Advisor|access-date=July 24, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512010249/http://www.422business.com/about_us.html|archive-date=May 12, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="haleytribute"/> In 2011, he formed a tribute band, performing his father's music and telling the stories behind the songs.<ref name="haleytribute">{{cite news |last1=Gross |first1=Dan |title=Haley tribute |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/philadelphia-daily-news-haley-tribute/134947655/ |work=Philadelphia Daily News |date=November 3, 2011|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Last years and death==
Haley failed to achieve the level of success enjoyed by contemporaries such as [[Little Richard]] and [[Jerry Lee Lewis]]. According to one source, "he had conflicted feelings about fame, was extremely private, suffered chronic alcoholism, and troubled relationships".<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aFzMvgEACAAJ|title=Crazy Man, Crazy The Bill Haley Story|author=Bill Hayley, Peter Benjaminson |page= |date=October 3, 2019 |publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=9781617137112|accessdate=November 10, 2023}}</ref> Having admitted to an alcohol problem in a 1974 radio interview for the [[BBC]],<ref name=FallingComet>{{Cite web|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/falling-comet/|title=Falling Comet|date=2011-06-01|website=Texas Monthly|language=en|access-date=2020-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&q=bill+haley+%22alcoholism%22&pg=PP15|title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits|last=Bronson|first=Fred|date=2003|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=978-0-8230-7677-2|language=en}}</ref> Haley continued to battle alcoholism into the 1970s. Nonetheless, he and his band continued to be a popular touring act, benefiting from a 1950s nostalgia movement that began in the late 1960s and the signing of a lucrative record deal with the European [[Sonet Records|Sonet]] label. After performing for [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] at the [[Royal Variety Performance]] on November 26, 1979,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.royalvarietycharity.org/royal-variety-performance/archive/detail/1979-london-theatre-royal|title=Performances :: 1979, London Theatre Royal &#124; Royal Variety Charity|website=Royalvarietycharity.org|access-date=May 12, 2023}}</ref>

The October 25, 1980, issue of German tabloid ''[[Bild]]'' reported that Haley had a brain tumor. Haley's British manager, Patrick Malynn, was quoted as saying that "Haley had taken a fit [and] didn't recognize anyone anymore." In addition, a doctor who examined Haley said that the tumor was inoperable.<ref name="Bill Haley 1982. page 154">''Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll''. John Swenson. 1982. Stein and Day. p. 154, {{ISBN|0-8128-2909-3}}</ref>

Haley's widow Martha, who was with him in these troubling times, denied he had a brain tumor, as did his close friend Hugh McCallum. Martha and friends related that Haley did not want to go on the road anymore and that ticket sales for that planned tour of Germany in the fall of 1980 were slow. McCallum said, "It's my unproven gut feeling that that [the brain tumor] was said to curtail talks about the tour and play the sympathy card."<ref name=FallingComet/>

At the same time, Haley's alcoholism appeared to be worsening. According to Martha, by this time, she and Haley fought all the time and she told him to stop drinking or move out. Eventually, he moved into a room in their pool house. Martha still took care of him and sometimes, he would come in the house to eat, but he ate very little. "There were days we never saw him", said his daughter Martha Maria.<ref name=FallingComet/> In addition to Haley's drinking problems, it was becoming evident that he was also developing serious mental health issues. Martha Maria said, "It was like sometimes he was drunk even when he wasn't drinking." After being picked up by the police in Harlingen several times for alleged intoxication, Martha had a judge put Haley in the hospital, where he was seen by a psychiatrist, who said Haley's brain was overproducing a chemical, like adrenaline. The doctor prescribed a medication to stop the overproduction, but said Haley would have to stop drinking. Martha said, "This is pointless." She took him home, however, fed him and gave him his first dose. As soon as he felt better, he went back out to his room in the pool house, and the downward spiral continued until his death.<ref name=FallingComet/>

Media reports immediately following his death indicated that Haley displayed deranged and erratic behavior in the final weeks of his life. According to a biography of Haley by John Swenson, released in 1982,<ref name="Bill Haley 1982">''Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll'', pp. 155-159, John Swenson. (1982. Pub. Stein and Day, 1982), {{ISBN|0-8128-2909-3}}</ref> Haley made a succession of bizarre, mostly monologue late-night phone calls to friends and relatives toward the end of his life in which he was semi-coherent. His first wife has been quoted as saying, "He would call you and ramble, dwelling on the past..." The biography also describes Haley painting the windows of his home black,<ref name="Bill Haley 1982"/> but there is little other information available about his final days.

Haley died at his home in Harlingen on February{{spaces}}9, 1981, aged 55.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/02/10/obituaries/bill-haley-55-dies-singer-band-leader.html "Obituary for Bill Haley"], ''New York Times'', February 10, 1981.</ref> He was discovered lying motionless on his bed by a friend who had stopped by to visit him. The friend immediately called the police and Haley was pronounced dead at the scene.<ref name=FallingComet/> Haley's death certificate gave "natural causes, most likely a [[heart attack]]" as being the cause.<ref>''Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll'', p. 164, by John Swenson (Pub. Stein and Day 1982). {{ISBN|0-8128-2909-3}}</ref> Following a small funeral service attended by 75 people,<ref name=FallingComet/> Haley was cremated in [[Brownsville, Texas]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_l_1NkpGBrEC&dq=bill+haley+harlingen+grave&pg=PA869|title=Bill Haley|publisher=Wagner Verlag sucht Autoren |isbn=9783862795376}}</ref>

==Tributes and legacy==
Haley received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]<ref>Dawson, Jim and Whitcomb, Ian (2005). ''Rock Around the Clock: The Record that Started the Rock Revolution!'', p. 180. Hal Leonard Corporation. {{ISBN|0-87930-829-X}}</ref> at 6350 [[Hollywood Boulevard]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/bill-haley/|title=Bill Haley|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=2016-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rockandrollroadmap.com/places/miscellaneous/los-angeles-area-miscellaneous/hollywood-walk-of-fame/|title=Hollywood Walk of Fame - Our list of Rock stars on the Walk|date=2015-12-19|website=History Of Rock Music|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-12}}</ref> on February{{spaces}}8, 1960,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/bill-haley|title=Bill Haley {{!}} Hollywood Walk of Fame|website=Walkoffame.com|access-date=2016-06-12}}</ref> for his contributions to the music industry.

In 1982, Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]], a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings at least 25 years old and with "qualitative or historical significance".

Haley was posthumously inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 1987. His son Pedro represented him at the ceremony.<ref name="Bruce Lee Smith">{{cite web|url=http://www.themonitor.com/articles/harlingen-22920-haley-pioneer.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822144225/http://www.themonitor.com/articles/harlingen-22920-haley-pioneer.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 22, 2009|title=Pioneer Haley almost forgotten in Harlingen|author=Bruce Lee Smith|publisher=AIM Media Texas|date=February 6, 2009}}</ref> The Comets were separately inducted into the Hall of Fame as a group in 2012, after a rule change allowed the induction of backing groups.

Songwriters [[Tom Russell]] and [[Dave Alvin]] addressed Haley's demise in musical terms with "Haley's Comet" on Alvin's 1991 album ''Blue Blvd.'' [[Dwight Yoakam]] sang backup on the tribute.

Surviving members of the 1954&ndash;55 contingent of Haley's Comets reunited in the late 1980s and continued to perform for many years around the world. They released a concert DVD in 2004 on Hydra Records, played the [[Viper Room]] in [[West Hollywood]] in 2005, and performed at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater in [[Branson, Missouri]], beginning in 2006–07. As of 2014, only two members of this particular contingent were still alive (Joey Ambrose and Dick Richards), but they continued to perform in Branson and Europe. In 2019, Dick Richards, the drummer of the Comets, died at the age of 95. As of 2014, at least two other groups  continue to perform in North America under the Comets name.

In February 2006, the [[International Astronomical Union]] announced the naming of asteroid [[79896 Billhaley]] to mark the 25th anniversary of Haley's death.

In March 2007, the Original Comets opened the Bill Haley Museum in Munich, Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockithydra.de |title=Rockithydra |language=de |publisher=Rockithydra.de |access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref> On October 27, 2007, ex-Comets guitar player Bill Turner opened the Bill Haley Museum for the public.

In December 2017, Haley was inducted into the [[National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame]].

==Published biographies==
* Bill Haley Jr. and Peter Benjaminson, ''Crazy Man, Crazy: The Bill Haley Story'' {{ISBN|978-1617137112}},(2019)
* John Swenson, ''Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll'' ({{ISBN|978-0812881165}}),(1982)
* John W. Haley with John von Hoëlle, ''Sound and Glory: The Incredible Story of Bill Haley, the Father of Rock 'N' Roll and the Music That Shook the World'' ({{ISBN|978-1878970015}}), (1992)
* [[Jim Dawson]], ''Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution!'' ({{ISBN| 978-0879308292}}), (2005)
* Otto Fuchs, ''Bill Haley: The Father of Rock 'n' Roll'', ({{ISBN|978-3866839014}}), (2011)

==Film portrayals==
Unlike his contemporaries, Haley has rarely been portrayed on screen. Following the success of ''[[The Buddy Holly Story]]'' in 1978, Haley expressed interest in having his life story committed to film, but this never came to fruition. In the 1980s and early 1990s, numerous media reports emerged stating that plans were underway to do a biopic based upon Haley's life, with [[Beau Bridges]], [[Jeff Bridges]] and [[John Ritter]] all at one point being mentioned as actors in line to play Haley (according to ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine Magazine]]'', Ritter attempted to buy the film rights to ''Sound and Glory'').{{cn|date=May 2025}}

Haley has been portrayed by:
* John Paramor in ''[[Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe]]'' (1985)<ref>{{cite web |title=Shout: The Story of Johnny O'Keefe - Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.tvguide.com/movies/shout-the-story-of-johnny-okeefe/cast/2030058487/ |website=TV Guide}}</ref>
* [[Michael Daingerfield]] in ''Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story'' (1999)<ref>{{cite web |title=Michael Daingerfield |date=October 28, 2017 |url=https://www.northernstars.ca/daingerfield_michael/ |publisher=The Canadian Independent Visual and Digital Media Association |issn=2563-4895}}</ref>
* [[Dicky Barrett]] in ''[[Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story]]'' (1999)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weintraub |first1=Joanne |title=Story of Alan Freed will rock sets Sunday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-dicky-barrett/134950217/ |work=Dayton Daily News |date=October 15, 1999|quote=CBS' two-part Shake, Rattle and Roll features a host of contemporary musicians impersonating famous forebears, including Dicky Barrett as Bill Haley and Terrence Trent D'Arby as Jackie Wilson.}}</ref>

==Discography==
{{Main|Bill Haley & His Comets discography}}
Before the formation of Bill Haley and the Saddlemen, which later became the Comets, Haley released several singles with other groups. Dates are approximate due to lack of documentation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.billhaleycentral.com |title=Bill Haley Database |publisher=Billhaleycentral.com |access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref>

As '''Bill Haley and the Four Aces of Western Swing''':

1948
* ''[[Too Many Parties and Too Many Pals]]'' (vocal by Tex King)/''Four Leaf Clover Blues'' ([[Cowboy Records|Cowboy]] CR1201) August 1948 <ref>Billboard Record Review  Aug 14, 1948 page 121</ref>
1949
* ''Tennessee Border/[[Candy Kisses (George Morgan song)|Candy Kisses]]'' (Cowboy CR1202)  March 1949 <ref>Billboard Advance Folk Record Releases Mar 19, 1949 page 38</ref>

As '''Johnny Clifton and His String Band''':

1950
* ''Stand Up and Be Counted/Loveless Blues'' ([[Center Records|Center]] C102)

Many Haley discographies list two 1946 recordings by the Down Homers released on the [[Vogue Records]] label as featuring Haley. Haley historian Chris Gardner, as well as surviving members of the group, have confirmed that the two singles: "Out Where the West Winds Blow"/"Who's Gonna Kiss You When I'm Gone" (Vogue R736) and "Boogie Woogie Yodel"/"Baby I Found Out All About You" (Vogue R786) do not feature Haley.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://thegardnerfamily.org/haley/discography/recordings.html |title=Thegardnerfamily.org |access-date=April 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205001942/http://thegardnerfamily.org/haley/discography/recordings.html |archive-date=February 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> However, the tracks were nonetheless included in the compilation box set ''Rock 'n' Roll Arrives'' released by [[Bear Family Records]] in 2006.

==Compositions==
Haley's compositions included "Four Leaf Clover Blues" in 1948; "Rose of My Heart"; "Yodel Your Blues Away"; "[[Crazy Man, Crazy]]"; "What'Cha Gonna Do"; "[[Fractured (Bill Haley song)|Fractured]]"; "[[Live It Up (Bill Haley song)|Live It Up]]"; "Farewell, So Long, Goodbye"; "[[Real Rock Drive]]"; "Rocking Chair on the Moon"; "Sundown Boogie"; "Green Tree Boogie"; "Tearstains on My Heart"; "Down Deep in My Heart"; "Straight Jacket"; "[[Birth of the Boogie]]"; "[[Two Hound Dogs]]"; "[[Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie]]"; "[[Hot Dog Buddy Buddy]]"; "[[R-O-C-K]]"; "[[Rudy's Rock]]"; "Calling All Comets"; "Tonight's the Night"; "Hook, Line and Sinker"; "Sway with Me"; "Paper Boy (On Main Street U.S.A.)"; "[[Skinny Minnie]]"; "B.B. Betty"; "Eloise"; "Whoa Mabel!"; "Vive le Rock and Roll"; "I've Got News For You"; "So Right Tonight"; "Jamaica D.J."; "Ana Maria"; "Yucatán Twist"; "Football Rock and Roll"; "Let the Good Times Roll Again" in 1979; and "Chick Safari" in 1960.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyrig3145lib|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries 1960 Music Jan-June 3D Ser Vol 14 Pt 5|date=May 12, 1960|publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Off.|access-date=May 12, 2023|website=Archive.org}}</ref>

He also wrote or co-wrote songs for other artists such as "I've Got News for You" for Penny Smith in 1955 on Kahill, "Calypso Rock" for Dave Day and The Red Coats on Kapp in 1956, "Half Your Heart" with Robert J. Hayes for Kitty Nation in 1956 on Wing, "I Oughta" and "Everything But You" for Dotti Malone in 1956 also on Wing,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qh8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=half+your+heart+kitty+nation+haley&pg=RA1-PA22|title=Billboard|page=22|date=March 24, 1956|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|access-date=May 12, 2023|via=Google Books}}</ref> "A.B.C. Rock" and "Rocky the Rockin' Rabbit" (among others) for [[Sally Starr (TV hostess)|Sally Starr]] for an album she released on Haley's own label, Clymax Records, "A Sweet Bunch of Roses" for Country and Western singer Lou Graham, "Toodle-Oo-Bamboo" for Ray Coleman and His Skyrockets on Skyrocket Records in 1959, "Always Together" for the Cook Brothers on Arcade in 1960, "Crazy Street" for [[The Matys Brothers]] on [[Coral Records]], "The Cat" for Cappy Bianco, and "(Ya Gotta) Sing For the Ladies" and "Butterfly Love" for Ginger Shannon and Johnny Montana in 1960 on Arcade as well as "I'm Shook" and "Broke Down Baby", both of which were recorded by [[The Tyrones]] in 1958–59.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other sources==
* Jim Dawson, ''Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution!'' (San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2005)
* John W. Haley and John von Hoëlle, ''Sound and Glory'' (Wilmington, DE: Dyne-American, 1990)
* John Swenson, ''Bill Haley'' (London: W.H. Allen, 1982)

==External links==
* [http://www.bill-haley.com/ Bill Haley's new Comets web site]
* [https://archive.today/20091025075400/http://www.geocities.com/buddycruiser/bio4.html?1054745371300  Melody Manor (Bill Haley's house)] [https://maps.google.com/maps?li=rwp&q=3190+FOULK+RD,+MARCUS+HOOK,+PA+19061&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&z=16&ll=39.850902,-75.484078&spn=0.007215,0.021458&iwloc=A Google Map]
*{{IMDb name|id=0006426|name=Bill Haley}}
* [http://www.billhaleyjrandthecomets.com/ Bill Haley Jr. and the Comets site]
{{Bill Haley & His Comets}}
{{1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Bill Haley| ]]
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