The King of Rockabilly, Carl Perkins came from a poor sharecropper family in Tennessee. He formed a band with his brothers and played all over the region before Carl got signed to Sun Records. His tune "Blue Suede Shoes" was his huge hit and also became a hit for his friend Elvis Presley.
Perkins cut a bunch of rockabilly and country tunes for Sun and Columbia and did some touring with Chuck Berry. He cut some impromptu recordings with Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis which would be released and sold as The Million Dollar Quartet. He and Cash would remain very close friends and they would write songs for each other. He was part of Cash's touring band and played at San Quentin with them.
Perkins, hero to many, has collaborated with Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, NRBQ, Stray Cats and more. His guitar style and songs were a huge influence on British rock (particularly the Beatles), as well as its influence on country music. He remains the gold standard of rockabilly guitar.