Rock and roll musician, born
July 6,
1925 in
Detroit and raised in
Pennsylvania. After making a number of unsuccessful
country music singles in the
1940s, whilst working as a touring musician and later a DJ. In
1951 he and his band,
The Saddlemen, changed styles, recording cover versions of
Jackie Brenston's
"Rocket 88" and
"Rock this Joint". The relative success of the latter of these convinced Haley that he could be a successful rock and roller. In
1952 The Saddlemen became
Bill Haley and the Comets, who were important in launching the music to a wider (white) audience.