Jackie Brenston
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Biography:
Determining the first actual rock && roll record is a truly impossible task. But you can't go too far wrong citing Jackie Brenston's 1951 Chess waxing of &"Rocket 88," a seminal piece of rock's fascinating history with all the prerequisite elements firmly in place: practically indecipherable lyrics about cars, booze, and women; Raymond Hill's booting tenor sax, and a churning, beat-heavy rhythmic bottom.
Sam Phillips, then a fledgling in the record business, produced &"Rocket 88," Brenston's debut waxing, in Memphis. The singer/saxist was backed by Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm, an aggregation that Brenston had joined the previous year. Turner played piano on the tune; Willie Kizart supplied dirty, distorted guitar. Billed as by Jackie Brenston && His Delta Cats, &"Rocket 88" drove up to the top slot on the R&&B charts and remained there for more than a month. But none of his Chess follow-ups sported the same high-octane performance, though &"Real Gone Rocket" was certainly a deserving candidate.
Brenston's slide from the spotlight was swift. After a few more Chess singles stiffed (including a duet with Edna McRaney, &"Hi-Ho Baby"), Brenston reunited with Turner in 1955, holding down the baritone sax chair until 1962. He cut a series of terrific sides fronting Turner's Kings of Rhythm along the way: &"Gonna Wait for My Chance" and &"Much Later" for Federal in 1956, &"You've Got to Lose" for Chicago's Cobra label in 1958 (also doing session work there with Otis Rush and Buddy Guy), and &"You Ain't the One" for Sue in 1961. After a final single for Mel London's Mel-Lon imprint, Brenston was through; he worked as a truck driver and showed little interest in reliving his glory years. Bill Dahl, All Music Guide
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