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Legendary guitarist, Scotty Moore, sadly passed away on Tuesday (June 28th) in Nashville, aged 84. Scotty was one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll guitar, playing on many classic Elvis Presley hits, beginning with “That’s All Right” in 1954. His innovative guitar work would influence generations of performers, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Keith Richards, who once said “Everyone else wanted to be Elvis – I wanted to be Scotty.”

We pay tribute to the great Scotty Moore by remembering his guitar work on eight classic recordings.

Elvis Presley – “Good Rockin’ Tonight”

Elvis Presley – “That’s All Right”

Elvis Presley – “Baby Let’s Play House”

Elvis Presley – “Mystery Train”

Elvis Presley – “Hound Dog”

Elvis Presley – “Heartbreak Hotel”

Elvis Presley – “Blue Suede Shoes”

Elvis Presley – “Too Much”

We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the day that Elvis Presley recorded “That’s All Right” and kick-started one of the most remarkable careers in music history.

Elvis’ timeless reworking of the Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup blues song was recorded during a try out at Sam Phillips’ Sun Studio in Memphis, TN on July 5, 1954.

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BBC Radio Two’s “Scotty Moore and the Guitar that Changed the World” features a fascinating interview with the legendary guitarist at the Sun Records recording studio at which Scotty recorded many classic recordings with Elvis Presley. The radio special celebrates the 60th anniversary of “That’s All Right,” the first professional recording of Elvis Presley’s career and one of the most important songs in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

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Today we celebrate the 80th birthday of Scotty Moore, who as the guitarist in Elvis Presley’s original band is one of the most innovative and influential figures in rock ‘n’ roll.

Winfield Scott Moore III was born on December 27, 1931 near Gadsden, Tennessee and began playing guitar as a child. After serving in the Navy from 1948 to 1952, he formed a country band called “The Starlite Wranglers” which also featured future Elvis bassist Bill Black. Everything would change in July 1954 when Sun Records owner, Sam Phillips, asked Scotty to work with an enthusiastic young singer called Elvis Presley.

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The excellent out-of-print “That’s Alright, Elvis: The Untold Story of Elvis’s First Guitarist and Manager, Scotty Moore” has been made available on Kindle by author James L. Dickerson. The 1997 book is Scotty’s account (as told to Dickerson) of his long career, including his time playing guitar for Elvis Presley. The guitarist first encountered Elvis in 1954 when Sun Records’ producer Sam Phillips asked him and bass player Bill Black to rehearse with the then unknown teenager. The trio swiftly struck gold with the brilliant single “That’s All Right” which is regarded as one of the most important recordings in rock ‘n’ roll history.

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