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Pat Boone

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

Pat Boone is an American singer, born in 1934 in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised in Nashville. He began performing at Sunday concerts in a park in Nashville and made records from 1953. In 1955 he signed with Dot Records.

Music and breakthrough

His version of Fats Domino's Ain't That a Shame became a hit in 1955 and set the pattern for his early work: he re-recorded rhythm and blues songs by black artists for a mainly white audience. Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally by Little Richard followed in the same way. His versions were tidier and tamer than the originals. Critics see this as the whitewashing of black music, because it brought the original artists less recognition. Boone had 38 top 40 hits in America, six of them number ones, such as Love Letters in the Sand and April Love (1957). He sold almost fifty million records.

Influence

Boone kept up a safe, wholesome image, which worked well for advertisers. From 1957 to 1960 he hosted his own television show, sponsored by Chevrolet, and he appeared in films such as April Love and Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). Later he turned to gospel and Christian music. In 1997 he surprised people with In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, an album of heavy metal songs. In pop history, Boone stands for the way the music industry in the 1950s first sold rock 'n' roll to the general public in a tame, white version.

Listening

Listening tip. First listen to Fats Domino's Ain't That a Shame, then to Pat Boone's version. Notice the difference in the singing: Domino sings loose and relaxed, Boone neatly and with careful articulation. Do you also hear how much smoother the accompaniment sounds on Boone's record?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Artists