One night I was channel surfing and came across the 1956 movie Rock Around the Clock with Bill Haley and the Comets. During the movie, I noticed that while Haley was quite the outgoing entertainer when he was singing/playing, he looked uncomfortable while acting.

I began digging a little deeper into the life of the rock and roll pioneer and came across Crazy Man, Crazy. It isn’t just the name of the 1953 hit by Bill Haley and The Comets. It’s also the title of a book written by his son Bill Haley Jr. about the life about one of rock and roll’s pioneers.

Bill Haley’s place in music history can’t be denied. While it wasn’t the first rock and roll song, in 1955, Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets was the first rock and roll record to reach the top spot on Billboard. It ushered in the Rock and Roll Era on Billboard. Bill Haley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 for his role in bringing rock and roll to mainstream America.

Locally, on Hamilton radio, Rock Around the Clock appeared on 47 of CKOC’s yearly Big 500 Countdowns, reaching #1 once. See You Later Alligator and Shake, Rattle and Roll would also often finish as popular choices on the Big 500.

The book Crazy Man, Crazy dives into both the personal and professional life of Bill Haley. The roots of the book can be traced back to a college term paper written in 1979. Haley Jr. continued his research over the years. That level of research is evident in the amount of detail included in the book. It’s a good read – you’ll learn facts about Bill Haley you might not have known. I even found out while he looked uncomfortable at times.

He also keeps the music and legacy of his father alive with Bill Haley Jr. and the Comets on the oldies circuit. You can find tour dates and several music clips at billhaleyjrandthecomets.com.

This Saturday Morning Sit Down from Oldies Without Borders was recorded in October 2022. In addition to sharing personal anecdotes about growing up with Bill Haley as your father, I found Haley Jr., fascinating, informative, and thoroughly knowledgeable about the history of popular music.

Enjoy!

Interview Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.