I had become a true-blooded Bill Haley fan, and through him, I immediately started loving Rock 'N' Roll music. Here are some of my drawings of that time: A self-portrait, where I proudly display my rock 'n' roll inclinations...
And three pages of a "Mad" magazine spoof that I made for my high school newspaper. You can see Bill at the front of the "Pleistocene" crowd!
Soon after, I started writing songs with wild titles and lyrics. One of those, called "Come, Come, Comet", inspired by you-know-who, became a favorite of my friends and was so well-liked by two brothers, that when they got a recording contract, they asked me for a Spanish-lyrics version. I entitled it as "Dime Quien (Quien, Quien)" and it became the first single by "Los Hermanos Carrión", a duet that, with their unique style of Mexican Rock, would go on to become highly successful and have many national hits!
Throughout Prep school, with my big beat tunes and my usual talk in the rock 'n' roll idiom, I became a favorite of the football team cheerleaders; and by the time that I entered university to study architecture, I had developed a certain reputation as a "rockologist".
After he heard one on my rock 'n' roll songs, titled "Get Enough Chicken in The Corner", Alvaro González, a classmate at the university, asked me to sing with a rock group he was with. Luckily, in my spare time I became a member of this group, known then as "Pepe y Sus Locos del Ritmo", and which would evolve into the famous "Los Locos del Ritmo"; without question the first great Mexican rock 'n' roll combo; a group that would also enjoy multiple national hits.
The first time that Bill visited México, in March of 1960, to give his first concert here, I had the unique opportunity of interviewing him and also meet The Comets. At the time, I was still a teenager, but I used with good advantage the fact that my father was publishing a local newspaper, to arrange the interview. When I contacted Bill, he quickly agreed to be interviewed; which made me realize that he was not only a great entertainer, but also a gentle, unassuming person who cared about his fans.
You might enjoy seeing that first interview in all its innocent glory!
At the end of the interview, Bill talks about the films that he has starred in; including the one that he did with Caterina Valente, during his visit to Germany. He also mentions his recently signed contract with Warner Brothers, and the titles of his first singles:
On March 18, the first Bill Haley Concert in México took place. I can picture us all, guys 'n chicks, holding our collective breath for the stage to become alive at the old "Teatro Follies": The Creator of Rock 'N' Roll, BILL H-I-M-S-E-L-F and his Magnificent Flyin' COMETS would soon start rockin' the place apart with their thunderous, flamin', groovy, mega-HITS (Am I letting myself get too carried away? A once in a lifetime thrill cannot be described if you don't let yourself go!)
No words can ever describe the feeling: Attending a Bill Haley concert was very special. If you were a teenager, you felt right at home. Bill & his Comets made you feel part of the event; after all, the concert was for you! Bill was full of empathy, like a daddy (a real gone Daddy-o!), and The Comets were his team-mates, a great bunch of guys willing to please you to the max!
Bill didn't have to pretend to be glamorous. You could tell that behind that good-natured smile of his, there was a vast experience and determination to create a new sound. From his roots as a yodeling country singer and radio announcer, through his experiments with the electric guitar and the mixing of all types of musical styles, he loved to make people happy and elicit your best feelings!
One just had to watch Bill rockin' it like only he could, that spit-curl symbol of a comet's tail on his forehead, while Al Rappa and Rudy Pompilli went through their antics to the solid beat and riffs of the rest of the band: Franny Beecher, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones and Billy Williamson, the greatest rock 'n' roll band ever! We, the fans, rocked in unison, while chantin' the lyrics with great gusto and dancin' in the aisles to every synchopated beat of "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie", "Shake, Rattle and Roll", "Blue Comet Blues", "Rudy's Rock", "The Saints' Rock 'N' Roll", "R-O-C-K", "See You Later, Alligator" and, of course, "ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK"!
