Cliff Gallup

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Cliff Gallup · Clifton Gallup (1930 to 1988) was an American guitarist, in the 1950s the lead guitarist of Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps. His recording career was short: 35 songs with Vincent in 1956 and a solo album in the 1960s. In February 1956 the radio DJ Tex Davis heard the singer Gene Vincent at a talent night in Norfolk, Virginia. He became his manager and put together a band of local musicians. Gallup, older than Vincent and most of the others, had previously played in a local band, the Virginians.

Music and breakthrough

In May 1956 the band recorded in Nashville. The producer Ken Nelson had session musicians standing by, because he feared the group would not be good enough. But as soon as Gallup played the solos of Race with the Devil, Nelson knew that was not necessary. Gallup played on Vincent's biggest hit, Be-Bop-A-Lula, and gained a reputation as one of the technically best guitarists of early rock 'n' roll. As a married man he did not want to go on tour and left the band at the end of 1956, although he returned for studio sessions for the second LP. In the 1960s he made the solo album Straight Down the Middle, in a softer instrumental style.

Influence

Gallup worked for almost thirty years in maintenance for the Chesapeake schools. At the request of his widow, newspaper reports of his death did not mention his time with Gene Vincent. Even so he inspired guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Brian Setzer and Jeff Beck, who in 1993 recorded the album Crazy Legs of songs by Vincent. Critics call him one of the greatest rockabilly guitarists ever.

Listening