Scotty Moore (1931 - 2016) IM

Yes, there are heroes that are from before my time who die. Scotty Moore is one of them. Scotty Moore was Elvis' lead guitarist and Elvis was from before my time. The man who shook his hips on national television, causing wetted panties all over the place and shocked parents and perhaps even brothers as well. Behind that man, dead for nearly 40 years, was a team that made up the sound. Scotty Moore was the guitarist who played all those famous, short, fiery solo's.

Born Winfield Scott Moore III in December 1931 in Tennessee, he joined Elvis at the instigation of Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records. With bass player Bill Black and later drummer DJ Fontana they formed the team that assisted musically in making Elvis famous, more or less until Elvis joined the army, although they worked together sporadically until 1968.

1931. The man was born before my dad was. That is such an un-rock and roll thought. Next to that, I did not have a clue who Scotty Moore was. When did I find out the name of Elvis' guitar player? Or Ricky Nelson's?, etc.? Perhaps in the 80s but more likely in the 90s after I started playing guitar myself and started teaching myself in a more serious way as I wanted to play in a band. That is when I started reading a magazine like 'Total Guitar' and 'Guitar World' for a while. They had these transcribed songs to learn from. Pre-Internet days, without online tutorials and such. They also wrote about guitarists from an era that was before my consciousness, so I learned who played on which famous rock and roll song.

I also did not care a lot as well for years on end. Elvis was so out, so uncool after The Beatles and The Stones had became big and that more or less remained that way for years on end. His death in 1977 changed that a little, but then my then 13 year old and totally into 'Grease' sister came home with 'Forever'.

No it wasn't until I started to play in a rock (and roll) cover band in the late 90s that I really started listening to Elvis Presley and his guitarist and found out how cool some of the early recordings were.

Another band, nearly twenty years on and now as lead guitarist, but nowadays I am honoured to play Scotty Moore's solo's from 'Blue Suede Shoes' or 'Heartbreak Hotel'. Those staple Elvis hits that are still so much fun to play in 2016 and appreciated by audiences. Those slides, bends and clear notes played in the solos that was the beginning for all those guitarist that would follow in the 60s and 70s and beyond. A lot of them probably started with listening to old Elvis 45s or 78s and to learn to play those fiery solo's note-by-note. The guitarist was Scotty Moore. Rock and roll hall of fame inductee and quite rightly so.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Hound Dog' here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is

or buy Elvis 1954-1956 here on Bol.Com: