Sandy Nelson › Similar Artists

Johnny & The Hurricanes - 92% match to Sandy Nelson

Duane Eddy - 67% match to Sandy Nelson

26 April 1938, Corning, New York, USA. The legendary simple ‘twangy’ guitar sound of Duane Eddy has made him one of rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous instrumental artists. The sound was created after hearing Bill Justis’ famous ‘Raunchy’ (the song that George Harrison first learned to play). Together with producer Lee Hazlewood, Eddy co-wro Read more

B. Bumble & The Stingers - 60% match to Sandy Nelson

The Champs - 59% match to Sandy Nelson

Best known for the classic 1958 rock ‘n’ roll near-instrumental ‘Tequila’, a US number 1 song, the Champs were formed in Los Angeles, California, USA, in December 1957. The five musicians initially comprising the group were Dave Burgess (rhythm guitar), Danny Flores (Daniel Flores, 11 July 1929, Santa Paula, California, USA, d. 19 September 2006, Huntingt Read more

Bill Justis - 53% match to Sandy Nelson

14 October 1927, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, d. 15 July 1982, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Justis was a saxophonist, arranger and producer who created ‘Raunchy’, one of the classic rock ‘n’ roll instrumentals (and, coincidentally, the first song that George Harrison learned to play). He grew up in Memphis playing jazz and dance band music before joining Sam P Read more

Freddy Cannon - 43% match to Sandy Nelson

Freddy Picariello, 4 December 1940, Lynn, Massachusetts, USA. A frantic and enthusiastic vocalist, known as the ‘last rock ‘n’ roll star’, Cannon was the link between wild rock ‘n’ roll and the softer Philadelphia-based sounds that succeeded it. The son of a dance-band leader, he fronted Freddy Karmon And The Hurricanes and played guitar on sess Read more

Buddy Knox - 36% match to Sandy Nelson

Buddy Wayne Knox, 20 July 1933, Happy, Texas, USA, d. 14 February 1999, Bremerton, Washington, USA. Knox was one of the first ‘pop-abilly’ hit-makers in the 50s. In 1955, while at West Texas State University, he formed the Serenaders with bass player Jimmy Bowen and Don Lanier (guitar), later adding Don Mills (drums) and changing their name to the Rhythm Orchids. T Read more

Jimmy Jones - 36% match to Sandy Nelson

2 June 1937, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Some sources state 1942 as his year of birth. Jones, who had spent a long apprenticeship singing in R&B doo-wop groups, became a rock ‘n’ roll star in the early 60s singing ‘Handy Man’ and other hits with a dramatic and piercingly high falsetto. He began his career as a tap dancer, and in 1955 joined a vocal grou Read more

Johnny Tillotson - 35% match to Sandy Nelson

20 April 1939, Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Tillotson’s father was a country music disc jockey and Johnny himself was appearing on local radio from the age of nine. His parents encouraged his talent by giving him first a ukulele and then a guitar, and he was influenced by the singing cowboys (Gene Autry, Roy Rogers) and country singer Hank Williams. He appeared regularly Read more

Bobby Vee - 34% match to Sandy Nelson

Robert Thomas Velline, 30 April 1943, Fargo, North Dakota, USA. Vee’s first exposure to the rock ‘n’ roll scene occurred in macabre circumstances when his group, the Shadows, deputized for Buddy Holly after the singer was killed in an air crash in February 1959. Soon after, Vee’s group were discovered by famed producer Snuff Garrett and saw their indepen Read more

Craig Douglas - 34% match to Sandy Nelson

Terence Perkins, 12 August 1941, Newport, Isle Of Wight, England. After moving to London in the mid-50s, Douglas came under the wing of agent Bunny Lewis, appeared on the television show 6.5 Special, and won a record contract with Decca Records before moving to Dick Rowe’s label, Top Rank. Covering American hits was the classic route to chart success, and in 1959 Dougl Read more

The String-A-Longs - 33% match to Sandy Nelson

Keith McCormack (vocals/guitar), Richard Stevens (guitar), James Torres (guitar), Aubrey Lee de Cordova (bass) and Don Allen (drums) comprised this Texan high school group with a bias towards instrumentals. Encouraged by audience reaction to their act at local dances and parties, they auditioned for Norman Petty in his studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Impressed, Petty collaborated Read more

Jack Scott - 32% match to Sandy Nelson

Giovanni Dominico Scafone Jnr., 24 January 1936, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. This distinctive, deep-voiced rock ‘n’ roll and ballad singer-songwriter moved to Detroit at the age of 10, and began performing regularly with his sister Linda on the WEXL radio station. After changing his name to Jack Scott, he formed the C&W outfit Southern Drifters in 1954. Playing a Read more

The Swinging Blue Jeans - 32% match to Sandy Nelson

Determined to concentrate on rock ‘n’ roll, several leading figures in Liverpool’s skiffle scene founded the Bluegenes in 1958. They were singer and lead guitarist Ray Ennis (26 May 1942, Liverpool, England), bass player Les Braid (b. William Leslie Braid, 15 September 1937, Liverpool, England, d. 31 July 2005, Liverpool, England), drummer Norman Kuhlke (b. 17 Read more

Billy Fury - 31% match to Sandy Nelson

Ronald Wycherley, 17 April 1940, Dingle, Liverpool, England, d. 28 January 1983, London, England. An impromptu audition in a Birkenhead dressing room resulted in Wycherley joining Larry Parnes’ management stable. The entrepreneur provided the suitably enigmatic stage name, and added the aspirant to the bill of a current package tour. Fury enjoyed a UK Top 20 hit with hi Read more