Duane Eddy

by Erika Cox

Probably the best known solo instrumentalists and the most successful one, Duane Eddy had a number of hits during 1958 through 1963 with his unique style of playing the guitar’s bass strings.

Duane Eddy was born on April 26, 1938 in Corning, New York. At the age of five, Eddy started playing the guitar and developed a love of the guitar during his childhood.

His family moved to Phoenix, Arizona when he was thirteen and at sixteen years old Eddy dropped out of high school to pursue his musical career.

He received a Gretsch guitar, developed by Chet Atkins, and started hanging out at clubs and eventually performing in local clubs. He would later meet Al Casey while playing at a club and join his group playing the electric guitar.

While with Casey, Eddy created the famous “twangy” sound he was known for by playing his guitar’s bass strings. In 1957, Eddy met Lee Hazelwood,

Hazelwood used to be a popular disc jockey in Arizona but now owned his own recording label, Hazelwood suggested to Eddy to start playing the lower end of the strings on his guitar.

His first single, “Movin’ and Groovin” would later be used by the Beach Boys as the opening for their song “Surfin’ U.S.A”. To get the song promoted, he sent it to Dick Clark once Clark received the song Jamie Records became interested in Eddy and signed him to a contract.

The song faired okay but the next single “Rebel Rouser” released in 1958 did even better, breaking into the Top Ten on the charts.

Suddenly, Eddy became well known all across the country. With its hard and heavy opening guitar riff, “Rebel Rouser” became Eddy’s stable song and the one most associated with him. “Rebel Rouser” was a rock and roll song all the way even the title depicted the rock and roll rebellious image.

Eddy would continue to dish out songs, and although the songs had a similar sound to “Rebel Rouser” (which could be seen as a lack of creativity), they kept the rock and roll sound alive throughout the late 50’s and early 60’s, which was in danger of losing it’s hard rocking sound. In 1960,

Eddy would have his biggest hit with “Because They’re Young”, the theme to the movie of the same name.

Like many artists of the 1950’s, Eddy’s career declined dramatically with the onset of the British Invasion. However, he would continue to work appearing in movies and working with other artists producing records throughout the 70’s and 80’s.

Eddy's instrumental hits from the late '50s and early 60’s were basic and repetitive but he is known as the best instrumental rocker of his time.

He was very influential, and it has been said that along with Chuck Berry he may have been responsible for other guitarists experimenting and creating innovative ways to play the electric guitar.

His distinctively low, twangy riffs could be heard on at least fifteen Top Forty hits between 1958 and 1963. He was also one of the first rock stars to have success on the charts with an album. Duane Eddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

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Duane Eddy