July 1, 2011 through December 1, 2011
Price-Strongwell Galleries
Prevue Reception: Thursday, June 30
Members & Friends, 5-6 pm, Public 6-8 pm
About the Exhibition
(On loan from the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum in Ferrum, Virginia)
Like a teacher pushed to the edge, rockabilly grabbed teenagers by the ears in the early 1950s and kept shaking for nearly a decade. With Elvis Presley leading the charge, the music was powered by a driving bass, sharp up-front guitar licks, catchy teen-scene lyrics, and stage antics gushing with attitude. The rock ‘n’ roll revolution was officially underway. Virginia Rocks: A History of Rockabilly in the Commonwealth explores the careers of dozens of 1950s rockers from across the state. Most of them barely got beyond cutting a couple of 45s and playing the high school dance, but a few—such as Norfolk’s Gene Vincent and Halifax County’s Janis Martin—held center stage on the rockabilly scene in the U. S. and abroad. John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Jeff Beck, and Bob Dylan have all paid tribute to Virginia’s rockabilly greats. Objects will include rockabilly performers’ costumes and musical instruments (even a pair of Elvis’s shoes!), studio equipment, records, photographs, and video footage.
Related Events
Live Concert: Thursday, August 4, 3 pm
Join us for a live concert with the Dazzlers, an original 1950′s Rockabilly group.
