Nashville's Pied Piper:
The Life and Work of Jack Clement
If Cowboy Jack Clement had decided to retire from the music business in 1957, his place in the history of rock 'n' roll would have been secure.
While recording the first songs by Jerry Lee Lewis, he suggested that the musicians take a break from the country-oriented material they were working on. So, for fun, they loosened up by jamming on some stuff they had been doing in their "live" shows. The levels were set, and as the band launched into "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On", Jack hit the red button, mixing it on the fly.
One take. They didn't even listen back until after they had finished the rest of the session. In a matter of weeks that raw sound was blasting out of car radios and black-and-white TVs (see it here) toward the top of the charts, inspiring countless budding musicians from John Lennon to Bruce Springsteen on down ... more
Of course, Cowboy Jack Clement was just getting started. Never one to quit while ahead, he went on to play a pivotal role in the careers of some of the brightest stars of country, folk, and rock music. And, folks - guess what - he ain't finished yet ...
For more than half a century, Jack Clement has found himself surrounded by some of the world's greatest singers, songwriters, and instrumentalists. This was no accident. His brilliance was recognized early on by Sam Phillips whose Sun Records studio was the cradle of rock 'n' roll, and over the years top new talent has been drawn to Jack's door and has followed him like the mythical Pied Piper (though, of course, none of these people were rats). If you think we exaggerate, please spend some time within this site and prepare to be amazed by the most famous musician you, perhaps, have never heard of. And, as Pineapple Jack, he still picks a mean ukelele - see the video
A short list of those who have worked with Jack:
Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Charley Pride, Chet Atkins, Buzz Busby, Elvis Presley, Kris Kristofferson, U2, Louis Armstrong, Paul McCartney, Frank Yankovic, Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddy Arnold, Doc Watson, Ivory Joe Hunter, Allen Reynolds (producer of Garth Brooks), George Jones, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Billy Lee Riley, Zell Miller, Jim Rooney, John Prine, Guy Clark, Nanci Griffith, Bob McDill, Dickey Lee, Billy Burnette, Shawn Camp ... many more
Watch Jerry Lee on the Steve Allen Show (1957)
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