Carl Perkins

Person · Male

Carl Perkins

American pioneer of rockabilly music

From
Tiptonville, United States
Active
1932–1998
Rating
★ 4.35 (3 votes)
Releases
385
  • rockabilly
  • country
  • rock
  • rock and roll
  • singer-songwriter

About

Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) was an American country and rockabilly guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio in Memphis in 1954. Among his best known songs are "Blue Suede Shoes", "Honey Don't", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby".

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According to fellow musician Charlie Daniels, "Carl Perkins' songs personified the rockabilly era, and Carl Perkins' sound personifies the rockabilly sound more so than anybody involved in it, because he never changed". Perkins's songs were recorded by artists (and friends) as influential as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Ricky Nelson, and Eric Clapton, which further cemented his prominent place in the history of popular music.
Nicknamed the "King of Rockabilly", Perkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His recording of "Blue Suede Shoes" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

From Carl Perkins on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Member of

Discography

Albums 44
EPs 12
Singles 80

Showing 60 of 80. See them all on MusicBrainz

Live 15
Compilations 232

Showing 60 of 232. See them all on MusicBrainz

Other 2

Links

Collaboration

Parent

Sibling

Tribute

Also known as

Cark Perkings · Carl Lee Perkings · Carl Lee Perkins · Perkins · カール・パーキンス

Tags

  • american
  • rock & roll

Identifiers

ISNI
0000000118446199
IPI
00040556500
IPI
00040556699

Data from MusicBrainz, saved 8 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.