Eddie Cochran vs Elvis Presley – Who was the best?

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 Many said Eddie Cochran vs Elvis Presley would see Eddie as the best. 3 years younger when he died, he was a rock ‘n roll star in the same era as legends like Elvis, Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent. He influenced his peers and was revered by his fans. Elvis was the King, but Eddie was heir to the throne.

The Cultural Music Revolution

How lucky I was to be a teenager at the time of a cultural revolution in music. The birth of Rock ‘n Roll, later to become Rock music, evolved in the mid-1950’s and developed throughout the 1960’s.

It gave us the basis of most modern music today. The roots lay primarily in ‘Rhythm and Blues’ Gospel, Jazz and Blues and emanated from the deep South of America. There, Black music was suppressed until underground radio stations began playing and exposing it to the world.

Pioneers like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry were hugely responsible for letting the cat out of the bag. The electric guitar, amplification of sound, emerging independent record companies and the advent of 45rpm records all developed during this period.

When did Rockabilly Start

Rockabilly, a genre that fused rock ‘n’ roll with country (often called “hillbilly” music), emerged in the 1950s and played a crucial role in shaping early rock music. Several musicians defined the rockabilly sound. 1955 is often seen as a pivotal year for its explosion into the mainstream. The genre’s roots, however, can be traced back a few years earlier.

Early 1950s Foundations:

Emerging from a blend of country (hillbilly) music, blues, and rhythm and blues, the fusion happened throughout the Southern United States during the early 1950s. Musicians experimented with a mix of styles. Elvis Presley recorded his first rockabilly-style song, “That’s All Right,” in 1954 at Sun Studio in Memphis.

1955 Breakthrough:

While rockabilly was already developing before this, 1955 is significant because it marks the year when the genre reached a wider audience. Presley’s singles started gaining attention that year, and Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash also emerged. “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets (which had some rockabilly influence) was a major rock ‘n’ roll hit that topped the charts, and signaled the rise of rock ‘n’ roll as a dominant force.

Who Defined Rockabilly

Eddie Cochran:

With hits “Summertime Blues” and “C’mon Everybody,” Cochran became a symbol of teenage rebellion in the late 1950s. His powerful guitar work and innovative recording techniques helped define the rockabilly sound.

Elvis Presley:

Often called the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis started out as a rockabilly artist with hits “That’s All Right” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” His fusion of country, blues, and rock made him an iconic figure of the genre.

Carl Perkins:

Known as the “King of Rockabilly,” Carl Perkins wrote and performed some of the genre’s biggest hits, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” which Elvis made a standard in rock ‘n’ roll.

Johnny Cash:

While later known more for his country and folk work, Johnny Cash began his career with the hits “Cry! Cry! Cry!” and “I Walk the Line,” which had a distinct rockabilly flavour.

Jerry Lee Lewis:

Known for his wild piano playing and energetic stage presence, Jerry Lee Lewis brought “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” to life, mixing rockabilly with rhythm and blues.

Buddy Holly:

Though his style evolved further, Buddy Holly’s early hits “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue” had strong rockabilly influences. His approach to songwriting and recording left a lasting legacy.

Gene Vincent:

Best known for his hit “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” Gene Vincent was one of the genre’s most influential figures. His rebellious image and raw sound captured the essence of rockabilly.

They all helped define the genre, making it a driving force in the evolution of rock and roll.

In the year before Eddie Cochran died, the simultaneous deaths of Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens, in a plane crash in 1959, had a huge impact on Rockabilly and the American Rock and Roll scene in general

Then came Bob Dylan and The Beatles

Bob Dylan and the folk era emerged. Then came the Beatles, who in 1961 continued the evolution and development of music.

This was accompanied by an explosion throughout the 1960’s of many British musicians and super-groups who became music legends.

The Rock and Blues evolution

With improving technology and sound systems, highly skilled and many self-taught musicians took Rock and Blues music to new heights. It is a testament to their talent, skill and endurance that many from that era continued working. They produced and performed wonderful music well into the twenty-first century.

There was BB King, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant and Jimi Page from Led Zeppelin, David Gilmour and Roger Waters from Pink Floyd, Paul Rodgers from Free and Bad Company to name but a few.

Let us not forget some of the great performers that left us too early. Jimi Hendrix, Paul Kossof, Otis Redding, Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Mama Cass and Stevie Ray Vaughan were memorable in their prescence.

Their lives were cut short when in their prime, but they all had a major influence on the music of their generation. Now we have new influencers and guitar virtuosos like Joe Bonamassa, Doyle Bramhall II and Gary Clark Jnr, perpetuating and building on the foundations of their heroes.

Where was Eddie Cochran’s last concert

Eddie Cochran’s last concert was at the Bristol Hippodrome, in the City of Bristol, England.

I still have the memory of a wonderful but fateful night and how impressed my first girlfriend was when I somehow managed to get tickets to see Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. It was April 17^th 1960 and we were in our last year of school.

We lived at opposite ends of the City of Bristol in England and had to travel by bus to meet outside the Bristol Hippodrome. I was there first and was on tenterhooks, for what seemed like an eternity, worrying she might not show up. But of course I was very cool and she never suspected a thing.

I wonder where that bright, blue-eyed, curvaceous, blonde bombshell with the vibrant and captivating personality is now, more than half a century later. Probably curled up in front of a roaring fire surrounded by ten grandchildren, reading this story and reminiscing. How the mind can play tricks when one is in the seventh age of man.

Eddie Cochran’s death

The concert at the Hippodrome in Bristol, was Eddie’s last. He was 21 when he died, following a car accident that night. Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent travelled with Pat Thompkins (Tour manager), Eddie’s girlfriend Sharon Sheeley in a hired Ford Consul saloon car.

They were travelling from Bristol to London’s Heathrow Airport when the driver lost control of the car near Chippenham. Eddie and Sharon were badly injured and taken to St. Martin’s Hospital in Bath.

Eddie lost his life the next day, Easter Sunday, but Sharon and Gene Vincent, who were also injured, made complete recoveries. Amazingly, Pat Thompkins, who was in the front passenger seat, and the taxi driver George Martin were uninjured. Martin, despite excessive speeding, only received a £50 fine and a driving ban.

The Eddie Cochran Festival

A memorial plaque stands on Rowden Hill in Chippenham, were Eddie died.  And in 2016 a campaign was started to raise funds to refurbish it and erect a statue in his memory. It was refurbished beautifully but as far as I know there is no statue. A lady called Gwen Hale used to organise an event in Eddie’s memory, and In October 2016 the Eddie Cochran Revival Festival was held in Chippenham according to the local Gazette and Herald.co.uk. I don’t know if it still happening each year, but I hope so.

Eddie Cochran starred when Elvis Presley was the King

Eddie was born in 1938, and in his short career, he became a rock ‘n roll star. In the same era as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent and other legends of that period, he was revered. He was an accomplished guitarist with none of the modern technology, and unusual for the time, he wrote his own songs.

For one so young he influenced many of his peers and other budding musicians, as did the musicians in this post I wrote. He was not short like so many rock front men. But Eddie’s height 1.77m or 5ft 9ins meant he was not a tall man either.

In 1987 Eddie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At the time we were witnessing a music revolution without realising it. Listen to these three of Eddie’s many hit songs, ‘Three Steps to Heaven’,  ‘C’mon Everybody’  and ‘Summertime Blues’.

The Last Night

That last fateful night after the Bristol Hippodrome concert with Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, Eddie was second on the bill to Gene. But for me, a 17-year-old fan in the audience, he was unquestionably the star turn. Access to Rock ‘n Roll artists wasn’t the same as it is today and British fans never had the chance to see Elvis perform, as he never toured Europe. But many inside and outside the business believed Eddie had a greater influence and may well have been a bigger star.

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This article was last updated in September 2024