Although he's not necessarily
the most renowned rockabilly
artist, Alvis Wayne was an
early contributor to the
scene. Born in Puduka, TX, on
December 31st, 1937, Wayne was
part of a large family, and
grew up very poor during the
infamous Great Depression era.
He was still a youngster when
he discovered country and
blues via t
more

Although he's not necessarily
the most renowned rockabilly
artist, Alvis Wayne was an
early contributor to the
scene. Born in Puduka, TX, on
December 31st, 1937, Wayne was
part of a large family, and
grew up very poor during the
infamous Great Depression era.
He was still a youngster when
he discovered country and
blues via the radio,
especially such artists as
Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow,
Eddy Arnold, and Bob Wills &
His Texas Playboys, which lead
to receiving his first guitar
at the age of ten. By his 12th
birthday, Wayne began playing
nightclubs and honkey tonks,
and when he was 20, he had
joined a group called Tony
Wayne & the Rhythm Wranglers,
who issued a lone single in
1957. The group split up
shortly thereafter, but Wayne
continued to play with others
leading to his own recording
contract with Westport
Records. In 1958, Wayne
recorded an album's worth of
tunes (although no full-length
album was ever issued), and
one of the tracks, 'Don't Mean
Maybe Baby,' became a sizeable
hit in southern Texas, which
lead to constant touring
around the Lone Star State.
Wayne continued to record and
tour until 1960, when he
joined the U.S. Airforce.
Wayne continued to record and
tour once he completed his
stay with the Airforce, and
via record collectors, a cult
following began to grow
(especially in the U.K.) due
to his under appreciated '50s
singles. Nearly 40 years after
his initial string of singles,
a pair of Alvis Wayne
full-length albums were
finally released on the
Rolling Rock label -- 2000's
Rockabilly Daddy and 2001's
Proud of My Rockabilly Roots.

Category Music

Tags rockabilly, 2001