I just heard some rock'n'roll intellectual on NPR describing Bill Haley as a white guy who tried to cash in on the rock'n'roll "fad." I first saw Bill Haley onstage in Tampa in 1956. I should mention that Big Joe Turner was on that bill, too. Both had hits with Shake, Rattle and Roll. You won't find me making comparisons here but I will defend Mr. Haley's role in the rise of that social phenomena that changed my life so profoundly and, I'm betting here, yours, too. Not only did he have the ears to hone in on all of that majestic rhythm and blues music, he had a band that shook the earth. Why do you never see him credited with bringing steel guitar to rock'n'roll. Nobody was gonna be hip with an accordian again until Flaco came along decades later. How about Frannie's solos on some of those hits or Rudy's big influence on so many of the honkers who came later including King Curtis. I did a short tour with him in the late '60's and he was pretty well done in. He was still a gentleman, though, and he could still rock like any kid, black or white. I could go on and on about the comic element in his show, the blending of hillbilly music, swing and rhythm and blues or the look of that band in those plaid dinner jackets but let's get right to the major issue here. In a contest with Elvis, the Beatles, Little Richard and Esquerita, Bill Haley had the best hair-do in rock'n'roll history. I'll stand on Gene Vincent's grave with curlers in my hair and tell the world. Get out in that kitchen and rattle those goddamned pots and pans!