This is the first comprehensive overview of rockabilly, beginning with its crystallization as a distinct style in 1954 with Elvis Presley's world-changing release of "That's All Right." Presenting the who, what, where, and when of the music, Craig Morrison's lively account sparks memories of "Blue Suede Shoes," "Be-Bop-A-Lula," Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. Morrison traces how a genre with roots in country and country blues, R&B, and western swing became the sound that helped build rock and roll, profiling not just rockabilly artists and recordings but the attitude and instrumentation that made the music a phenomenon.

Craig Morrison is a musicologist and bandleader of Craig Morrison & the Momentz. He teaches courses at the McGill Centre for Continuing Education in Montreal, and is a radio columnist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.