Claiborne Joseph Cheramie (September 9, 1938 – September 26, 2016), better known by his stage name Joe Clay, was an American

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...

musician. He was from Gretna, Louisiana, United States.

Career

Clay was born in Harvey, Louisiana, United States. His parents encouraged an early interest in country music and at the age of 12, he was already a competent drummer, later also learning rhythm guitar and electric bass. Clay began performing at that age in a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

band, who were offered a spot performing on the local radio station WWEZ. RCA subsidiary Vik Records signed him a few years later, while he was still in his teens; he recorded in New York with guitarists

Mickey Baker MacHouston "Mickey" Baker (October 15, 1925 – November 27, 2012) was an American musician, best known for his work as a studio musician and as part of the recording duo Mickey & Sylvia. Early life Baker was born in Louisville, Kentucky. His ...

and Skeeter Best, bassist Leonard Gaskin, and drummers Bobby Donaldson and Joe Marshall. He drove a school bus for 15 years in the New Orleans area. "During 1955 his local reputation enabled him to play the prestigious Louisiana Hayride out of Shreveport where he shared billing with the newly emerging Elvis Presley." The source also mentioned he filled in as a drummer for Presley when he played Pontchartrain Amusement Park in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, when D.J. Fontana could not make the gig. In 1956, he appeared on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'', a few months before

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

performed thereon, and Clay played a cover of

The Platters The Platters are an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The act ...

' hit " Only You (And You Alone)". Clay would later play guitar on some of Presley's recordings, but his manager would not let him tour outside the

area, and he never scored a hit. After being dropped from RCA, he continued performing in New Orleans for over 30 years. In the 1980s, the rockabilly revival in Europe resulted in renewed interest in Clay; he then toured England in 1986. In 1991, Clay was interviewed and featured in Cat Tales fanzine, appearing on the cover. He talked about his early success, fading into obscurity, then being rediscovered. In 2008, he appeared in an award-winning Canadian documentary entitled '' Rockabilly 514'', directed by Patricia Chica and Mike Wafer. He spoke about his early beginnings as a rockabilly musician in the 1950s and his fascination for the new generation of rockabilly followers. He is also seen performing live his single, "Sixteen Chicks", among an enthusiastic crowd of young rockabilly fans. In 2011, Clay in performance at the NOLA House Of Blues, was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame. Clay headlined The Rockers Reunion in the Rivermeade Leisure Centre, Reading, England on January 23, 2016. Clay died on September 26, 2016, at the age of 78.

Discography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clay, Joe American rockabilly musicians 1938 births 2016 deaths People from Gretna, Louisiana People from Harvey, Louisiana Country musicians from Louisiana