Jackie Brenston

American saxophonist and vocalist (1930-1979), most well-known for providing the vocal for Rocket 88, a song claimed by [Sam Phillips]?, a noted early rock and roll producer, as the "first rock and roll song". Such a claim is dubious, as quite a number of artists from about 1949 had recorded tunes featuring the characteristic back-beat of rock and roll. However, the song does rank as one of the finest early examples of the style, and is perhaps lyrically closer (featuring the joys of driving around in the Oldsmobile "Rocket 88") to later rock and roll than other candidate tunes. The song, written by [Ike Turner]? and recorded using his band, which Brenston was a member of at the time, (though the release was labelled by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats and Brenston was erroneously co-credited as the songwriter) was the second-biggest selling rhythm and blues single of 1951.

Brenston left Turner's band and released several more singles between 1951 and 1953, but without the same success as Rocket 88. He rejoined it as a saxophonist in 1957 and played in it until 1965.