Carl Perkins

USA, 1954–1998

Author of 'Blue Suede Shoes' and one of the architects of rockabilly. The Beatles recorded four of his songs and cited him as a primary model.

MusicRoots documents 1 artist who influenced Carl Perkins and 4 artists Carl Perkins influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Carl Perkins?

• John Westbrook — Perkins's autobiography credits 'Uncle John' Westbrook, a Black field worker, with teaching him to 'get down close to it' and bend the blues from a guitar.

Which artists did Carl Perkins influence?

• George Harrison — Carl Perkins became a significant influence on Harrison by the 1950s; The Beatles recorded four Perkins songs.
• The Beatles — The Beatles recorded four Perkins songs; McCartney and Lennon cited him as a primary model.
• Ricky Nelson — Nelson was strongly influenced by Carl Perkins — he said he tried to emulate the sound and tone of Perkins's guitar breaks, and Perkins later called them the last of the rockabilly breed.
• Creedence Clearwater Revival — Among the rock and roll records Fogerty grew up on, behind Little Richard and Bo Diddley.