Many early Rock & Roll stars hailed from the historic Jackson Purchase, including Carl Perkins and Scotty Moore. After 1952, many of them gravitated to Memphis, Tennessee to record with Sam Phillips at Sun Records. The Sun roster reads like a who's who of Rock & Roll: Elvis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis... and a western Kentucky truck driver named Ray Smith. In 1959, Smith's Sun single "Rockin' Little Angel" hit number one, and through he never returned to the top of the U.S. charts, he continued to tour the world and record until his death in 1979. Paducah native Tommy Thompson knew and played with Ray Smith, and tonight (July 25), at the McCracken County Public Library, he presents a program on this rockabilly pioneer's life and career. Todd Hatton spoke with Thompson to get a preview.
Tommy Thompson's presentation, "Rockin' Ray Smith: The Rockin' Little Angel" is part of the McCracken County Public Library's Evening Upstairs program. The free event begins tonight (July 25) at 7 in the second floor meeting room. Seating is limited and a high turnout is expected, so get there early.
