Without a doubt, Elvis is the most well-known of all rockabilly exponents. His legendary 1954/1955 Sun Studio recordings lead the way for other rockabillies and helped give birth to rock'n'roll. "The Sun Sessions" still constitute one of the greatest albums in rock history. Recorded by Sam Phillips in Memphis, Elvis, along with guitarist Scotty Moore and upright-slap bassist, Bill Black, created a totally new sound on such classics as "That's Alright Mama", "Mystery Train" and "Good Rockin' Tonite". The incredible sound created by these legendary men in the tiny Memphis studio has never been recaptured.

CARL PERKINS

Carl Perkins was the quintessential Memphis Sun Records rockabilly. Dubbed "The Rockin' Guitar Man", his "Blue Suede Shoes", was, in 1956, the first disc to top all three (Pop, Country, Rhythm & Blues) trade charts. There is an enduring myth about Carl that he might just have been as big as Elvis Presley if he had not suffered severe injuries from an automobile accident at an early critical juncture in his career. Regardless, Carl went on to become perhaps the greatest rockabilly songwriter of all time. In the 1960's, Carl had more copyrights ("Honey Don't", "Matchbox", "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby") covered by The Beatles than any other songwriter. Carl has continued to perform over the years and throughout his career he has never strayed from his original rockabilly roots. In 1986, Cinemax aired "Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session with Carl Perkins and Friends", an "allstar" concert that included performances by Carl with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ringo Star, Dave Edmunds, Roseanne Cash, and Stray Cats - Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom. In 1987, Carl was inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame and he was presented with the Career Achievement Award by the Academy of Country Music. In 1990, Carl was diagnosed with throat cancer, but early treatment was succesful in containing the malady. Carl had begun to perform again and he was working on his autobiography, however, his health worsened again. Mr. Perkins was interviewed for this film before he passed away in 1998 at the age of 65.

SCOTTY MOORE

Known as "Mr. Guitar," Chet Atkins is the most recorded solo instrumentalist in music history. While Chet is not considered a "rockabilly", his original guitar style had a huge influence on many of the best rockabilly guitar players. Atkins' style grew out of his admiration for Merle Travis, expanding Travis' signature syncopated thumb and fingers roll into new territory. Rockabilly guitar pickers such as Scotty Moore applied Chet's style to create their own original rockabilly sound. Mr. Atkins was interviewed for this film before his death at age 77 in 2001. He expressed great enthusiasm for this project.

GENE VINCENT

Rocketing to fame in 1956 with the rock'n'roll/rockabilly classic, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", Gene Vincent was one of the most talented and certainly one of the wildest rockabillies of the 1950's (both on and off the stage). Gene's original group, The Blue Caps, included the phenomenal guitarist, Cliff Gallup. Cliff's complex style influenced a multitude of modern day guitarists including Dave Edmunds, Brian Setzer and Danny Gatton. Gene and his Blue Caps appeared in the 1950's classic Jane Mansfield movie "The Girl Can't Help It". By the early 1960's Gene was heavily touring England and Europe with his good friend, Eddie Cochran. It was during this time that a young John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison got to meet their idol, Gene Vincent. Thereafter, Gene continued to rock Europe until 1971, when he died prematurely at the age 36 from the effects of poor health and alcoholism.