Charlie Feathers “Live in Memphis, Tennessee” 1976. Barrelhouse Records, recorded “before a live and drunk audience December 28th, 1973 at the Silver Dollar Bar.” Today, June 12th, is Charlie Feathers’ birthday (b. 1932, d. 1998). Feathers is best known for his signature (often emulated) rockabilly vocal style punctuated with yelps, hiccuped theatrics and mumbly upbeat whoops and garbles. Though not as well-known as many of his 50′s rockabilly contemporaries, his career was notable, learning guitar from blues legend Junior Kimbrough (the two recorded “Feel Good Again” and “Release Me”) and getting his start as as session musician at Sun Records, including playing on Presley’s “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” (he also claimed to have arranged Elvis’ “That’s All Right” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky”).

Live in Memphis, Tennessee is a laid-back rockabilly performance, the set reflective of the venue: “the usual weekend gig, just a bunch of the locals, jamming at the local bar, no special practice, the songs are not even planned, people drifting into the tavern, everyone knows each other [you can hear shouted bar conversations in the background], song requests, pinball machines making their own music, equipment being set up…no special mixers or echo, just Charlie Feathers and the band of this week..almost a fight towards the back of the bar, more drinking, more dancing..” (from liner notes by George Paulus) Lots of covers to please the crowd: “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Blueberry Hill” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and a couple of originals like “Tongue-Tied Jill.”