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He recorded his own instrumental versions of "Rock Around the Clock" in 1959 as Jimmy DeKnight and His
Knights of Rhythm, which were released as a 45 single on several record labels, Apt, Peak, President in the UK, and Arzee in 1979. One version was the song arranged in the cha cha format as "Rock
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Myers co-wrote a series of songs with
Freedman, among which were "The Covered Wagon Goes Roll, Roll, Rollin'", "The Sun Came Through", "A Bucket Full of Tears", "Make Believe Island", "Adalita", "Let Me Know", "The Password", "Can You Spare a Moment (For the Lord)", and "A Bushel of Sunbeams" and
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Myers came from a musical family in
Philadelphia. His father played drums and his mother played piano. Myers became a drummer. He formed his first band when he was fourteen called Jimmy Myers and The Truckadeers Orchestra. He later formed a band called Jimmy DeKnight and His Knights of Rhythm for
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recordings made by Haley in the 1949-51 era. He co-wrote with Tom
Gindhart and copyrighted the song "Ten Gallon Stetson (With a Hole in the Crown)" in 1948, a song which Bill Haley recorded on Keystone Records and released in 1950. "Ten Gallon Stetson" was the first release by Bill Haley and the
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in
Philadelphia to publish songs, and oversaw many of his own compositions as well as a number of Haley originals such as "Rock-a-Beatin' Boogie". It is also believed that Myers played drums on an early recording by Haley's pre-Comets group, the Saddlemen, though this has yet to be definitively
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He described the composition of the seminal song "Rock Around the Clock". He stated that the melody was developing and evolving for several years before he wrote it down on paper. He was playing the tune on a piano in his office when his friend composer Max C. Freedman joined in.
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prevented Haley from doing so (though Haley later claimed he tried several times to record it at Essex). Myers was convinced, however, that the song would be a hit. He organized the recording of the song on Arcade
Records. The first recording of the song was made by an
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He served in the
Pacific during World War II. He returned to Philadelphia after the war where he joined up with Jack Howard to form Cowboy Records. He first met Bill Haley at the WPWA record station pitching records to the radio host in Chester, Pennsylvania.
251:"And he said, `Why rock? What's that mean? Why not "Dance Around The Clock?"' And I said, 'I just have a gut feeling and since I'm half writer and whole publisher, I'm the boss! Right!' So, we called it 'Rock Around The Clock.'"
248:"When we finished it he said, `What are you going to call it?' I said, 'Rock Around The Clock,"' Myers said in an interview with the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Burns, Tenn.
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The song "Rock Around the Clock" was published in early 1953 by his publishing company Myers Music in
Philadelphia. Myers first pitched the song to Bill Haley. Although
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Around the Clock Cha Cha". Although credited to DeKnight, it is not known what instruments, if any, Myers played on these recordings.
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255:"You're a Long Time Dead" which were also copyrighted in 1953 and published by Myers Music and Standard Songs respectively.
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115:(October 26, 1919 – May 10, 2001) was an American songwriter, music publisher, actor, director, producer, and
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Saddlemen, a group which would evolve into Bill Haley with Haley's Comets and Bill Haley and His Comets.
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The relationship between Myers and Haley collapsed in 1955-56 when Myers began providing songs to
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Myers' songwriting career dated back to the 1940s, and his DeKnight moniker appears on several
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James E. Myers. Interview. The Man Who Wrote "Rock Around the Clock". Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
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In later years, Myers turned to acting, appearing in small roles in a number of films such as
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and in 1955, following its popular use in the opening credits of the film
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were supposed to be the first to record it, a dispute between Myers and
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559:. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 6 December 2017. p. 685
537:. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 6 December 2017. p. 578
418:. Copyright Office, Library of Congress. 6 December 2017. p. 202
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Rock Around the Clock: The Record that
Started the Rock Revolution!
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224:(who, under the name Charles Calhoun, wrote the lyrically similar "
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130:"Jimmy DeKnight". Myers is credited as co-writer, with
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122:Myers is best known as the credited co-writer of "
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181:, the song became the first No. 1 record of the
335:Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1968)
557:"Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series"
535:"Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series"
438:"Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series"
416:"Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series"
201:confirmed. A later claim by Myers (cited in
651:on the history of "Rock Around the Clock"
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329:The Fabulous Bastard from Chicago (1969)
387:. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 24.
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240:Composition of "Rock Around the Clock"
207:Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll
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308:Refinements in Love (1971)
43:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
680:American male songwriters
606:"Obituary: James E Myers"
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158:, Haley's producer for
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305:Shaft in Africa (1973)
226:Shake, Rattle and Roll
124:Rock Around the Clock
320:Ride, Mister? (1970)
326:The Divorcee (1969)
190:country and western
514:Rockabillyhall.com
323:The Hang Up (1969)
266:The China Syndrome
113:James Edward Myers
23:James Edward Myers
302:Uncle Scam (1981)
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489:Discogs.com
297:Filmography
222:Jesse Stone
198:Myers Music
156:Dave Miller
82:Occupations
685:Bill Haley
664:Categories
615:6 December
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343:References
259:Film roles
88:Songwriter
58:2001-05-11
36:1919-10-26
584:Ascap.com
464:45cat.com
277:entitled
138:Biography
128:pseudonym
117:raconteur
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361:IMDb.com
271:pen name
100:producer
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649:Webpage
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638:IMDb
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