Pinups for Pups!

While researching for this blog I came across an adorable website that I never would have thought would have existed!

It's a site with a mission! and it's called Pinups For Pups!

Pinups For Pups is a pinup dog rescue organization that aims to educate people about responsible pet ownership. They raise money and awareness for animal rescue groups, promote responsible pet ownership and advance the practice of spaying and neutering!

When I discovered this site I fell in love with it! Being a lover of both animals and Rockabilly pin-ups I couldn't help but love it!

So if you've got some time, go and take a look - It's for a good cause!

Hard Headed Woman!

This week's song is by the Queen of Rockabilly herself - Wanda Jackson!

Known as the sweet lady with the nasty voice, Wanda Jackson became one of the first popular female Rockabilly singers and a pioneering Rock 'n' Roll artist in the mid 1950's and 60's.

With hits such as "Hard Headed Woman", "Sparklin' Brown Eyes", "Rock Your Baby" and many more, she broke down the doors of the male-dominated world of Rock 'n' Roll!

As the first addition in nine years to the Early Influences category, Wanda Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 4th April 2009.

And here is the Rockabilly beauty in action performing her hit "Rock Your Baby":

Rock 'n' Roll!

Over the next two weeks I'm doing a work placement at a radio station as part of my university course, so I might not be able to do as many posts as usual - I'll try though!

Anyway, today I was asked to write an article about the Rock 'n' Roll World Cup that is taking place in Ingolstadt, Germany on the 18th April.

It got me thinking about which kind of dances were best suited to Rockabilly music. So this post is going to be all about Rock 'n' Roll!

Kicks, lifts, throws, jumps and flips - It could only be Rock 'n' Roll!

From the early 1950's Rock 'n' Roll music gave people a chance to be creative and come up with new moves and dance crazes. Over the years acrobatic moves were also included in the dance and it became one of the fastest and hardest dances to master.

Rock 'n' Roll was and still is greatly loved by Rockabilly fans everywhere!

I would love to be able to dance like these guys and girls:

Get Rhythm!

I'm back at home now in Ingolstadt, Germany for the next 2 weeks for Easter and one of the first things I always do when I get back here is take a little visit to one of my favourite shops.

It's called "Get Rhythm" and it's one of the only Rockabilly shops around for miles!

With lots of gorgeous clothes, bags, shoes, accessories and jewelry I could spend hours in there. And to top it all off the music they play in there is some of the finest Rockabilly I've ever heard!

Sadly though the whole Rockabilly scene isn't that big around here and the owner is struggling to make ends meet. So if you're ever in Ingolstadt, Germany go have a little look around his shop and help keep Rockabilly alive!

Great Balls of Fire!

This week's song makes your feet start tapping and your fingers start snapping!

It's Jerry Lee Lewis with "Great Balls of Fire"!

Jerry Lee Lewis, one of the founding fathers of Rock 'n' Roll, is the embodiment of the genre at its most reckless and high-spirited!

Along with Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash, he was one of the original Sun Records quartet and together they defined the music of the generation!

Over fifty years later his recording career is still going strong and his unique style of piano playing continues to influence many musicians - and it's no wonder with hits such as "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "What I'd Say" and "High School Confidential"!

And here he is live in action in 1957:

Get the Look!

So I promised I would keep an eye out for any good clothing sites and I found one that is more or less perfect!



It's called Pinup Girl Clothing and has everything from clothes, accessories and shoes for both guys and girls!

I'm already saving up the pennies so I can shop shop shop there!

Teese Me!

"Basically, I'm the girl that your mother warned you about." - Dita Von Teese.

Known for her porcelain white skin, luscious lips and enticing curves, Dita Von Teese is a modern-day pin-up girl!

Best-known as a burlesque artist, but also as a model and actress, she pushes the limits with elaborate outfits, hip swaying dance numbers and beautiful photography.

All the girls want to look like her and all the guys wish they could date her! And it's no wonder really with a body like hers!

Here she is performing live in New Orleans:

Perfect Pin-Ups!

This week I've decided to make it all about eye-candy for the guys and style icons for the girls! I've picked two of the most loved and beautiful rockabilly pin-up girls of the modern day!

So to start things off, she's got the perfect Rockabilly look with gorgeous black bangs, ruby red lips and a smile that could brighten many a dark room - It's Bernie Dexter!

Bernie Dexter is a modern-day model with an ever-growing following among vintage pin-up fanatics.

She has shot for many different photographers and modeled for many different websites and magazines, taking her inspiration from glamorous '40s and '50s pin ups. She even markets her own line of merchandise, which I will definitely have to check out after seeing all of the gorgeous clothes she wears!

Want to see more of the beautiful Bernie Dexter? Check out this video:

Hello Mary Lou!

This week's song is "Hello Mary Lou" by Ricky Nelson!

I heard it today on the radio for the first time in ages and it made me smile. To be honest though, it always makes me smile! There's just something about it!

Sadly I don't have any friends named Mary Lou, but then again they'd probably hate me anyway if I started singing "Hello Mary Lou..." every time I saw them!

With lots of hits, such as "Travelin' Man", "Poor Little Fool" and "I'm Walkin'", Ricky Nelson was second only to Elvis Presley as the most popular Rock 'n' Roll artist of the late 1950's!

Because of his huge success, Ricky Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Rocll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Psychobilly Freak-Out

Now although this is a Rockabilly blog, I thought that today I would talk a bit about Psychobilly.

I kept seeing the word Psychobilly while researching things for this blog, so decided to find out what Psychobilly actually was.

It turns out that it is a mixture of fast Rockabilly and Punk-Rock!

Now being a proud mohawk wearer and being into Punk-Rock myself, I really couldn't picture how this would work. After listening to a few bands though, such as the Cramps, the Koffin Kats and the Meteors, it turns out that the mixture of the two genres is actually the perfect blend! I love it!

The songs are often about horror, violence, lurid sexuality and other topics generally considered to be taboo. The good thing though is that songs are not all doom and gloom, but instead fast and often presented in a comedic or tongue-in-cheek fashion.

If you want to find out more about Pyschobilly, then check out this site here! It gives you lots of info on Psychobilly bands and gigs all over the world!

Hot Rod Gang!

No Rockabilly guy's look would be complete without a Hot Rod to go with it!

Hot Rods are typically American Cars with large modified engines for speed!



And they obviously have to look good as well if the Rockabilly guys want a hot pin-up girl to model next to them!



If you ever hear about a Hot Rod event, you can be sure to find it filled with Rockabilly followers! They flock to them like flies to light!

Why you ask? Well to them it's all about showcasing the return to traditional Hot Rods and the greaser lifestyle!

Girls, Cars and Nautical Stars

While looking at some of the more modern Rockabilly pictures, I noticed that a lot of the people in them have amazing tattoos. So i decided to see why so many Rockabilly followers had such beautiful tattoos...

It turns out that most of the tattoos seen on Rockabilly fans are a more modern take on the traditional tattoos that were popular during the early Rockabilly era.

Designs such as pin-up girls, swallows, cars, anchors, nautical stars and cherries are especially popular.



Rockabilly tattoos were and still are a sign of rebellion. Body art was not the popular trend that it is today when Rockabilly began back in the 1950's. Rockabilly tattoos were some of the first in a trend that would explode through the decades.

One of the most mentioned names regarding Rockabilly tattoos has to be Sailor Jerry. He is considered to be one of the foremost American tattoo artists of his time and many of the modern Rockabilly tattoos are based on his artwork.

Hello...I'm Johnny Cash

After watching Walk the Line yesterday, I can't get Johnny Cash's songs out of my head. So this week's song is "Cocaine Blues" by the man himself, Johnny Cash!

Now Johnny Cash not only had great hair, but was also a Grammy Award-winning American singer and songwriter.

Who would have thought that the young boy who worked on the cotton fields with his family in Kingsland, Arkansas, would later have an almost fifty year long music career, sell over 90 million albums and become one of the greatest men in music history!

Johnny Cash and his band, the Tennessee Three, had many hits including "Folsom Prison Blues", "Ring of Fire", "I Walk the Line", "A Boy Named Sue" and many more!

Here they are performing "Ring of Fire":

Because You're Mine, I Walk the Line

I just watched "Walk the Line" and it was amazing!

It's a film based on the life of Johnny Cash through the highs and lows of his music career. With great music, great actors and a great story, everything was perfect!

I've never been much of a fan of Joaquin Pheonix (who plays Johnny Cash) or Reese Witherspoon (who plays June Carter), but both of them blew me away in this film!

If you're interested in anything Rockabilly, then you'll love this film too - the music, the hairstyles, the clothes! I don't know why I never thought of watching it before now!

Slap That Bass!

This post is all about the music!

Rockabilly music has its own unmistakeable sound, with a mixture of Rock 'n' Roll, Hillbilly music, Swing, Boogie-Woogie and Blues.

That sound is of course created by the instruments!

One of the most important instruments to Rockabilly music is the upright bass.
But not just anybody with an upright bass can achieve the true Rockabilly sound!

Rockabilly slap bass is a style of playing an upright bass that provides the right kind of beat for the music, like this guy here:



The other important instrument is of course the guitar!

While the upright bass maintains the strong beat, it is left up to the Rockabilly guitar to provide the melody to support the vocals.

It needs a sultry sound like Blues as well as a peppy beat like the swinging Country sound of the day!

Even today, elements of Rockabilly guitar can still be heard in modern Country, Rock 'n' Roll, and even in Punk music!

Check this guy out:

Beautiful Girls

While searching for pictures of traditional pin-up girls for this blog I kept coming across pictures of modern girls who had given Rockabilly and the pin-up style their own little twist and done some amazing and beautiful pictures.

So I thought I would share some of the pictures with you!



If you want to find out more about Sabina Kelley, Missy Malone, Heidi Van Horne and Dayna Delux, just click on their names!

One, Two, Three O'Clock, Four O'Clock Rock!

There's a new song up and it's by the godfather of Rock 'n' Roll, Bill Haley!

Bill Haley and his band The Comets had many hits during the 1950's including "Crazy Man, Crazy" which was the first Rock 'n' Roll record to make the pop charts.

Not only was Bill Haley such a big presence in the record charts in the 1950's, but he also appeared in several Rock 'n' Roll movies.

Bill Haley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and an asteroid named after him! And rightly so! I mean, who doesn't love the song "Rock Around the Clock"?!

Ooh La La!

In my post about women's Rockabilly hairstyles I mentioned the famous and beautiful cult pin-up model, Bettie Page.

As one of the most famous models of the 1940's and 50's, she became a style icon for Rockabilly girls all over the world with her trademark short black bangs, blue eyes, sweet smile and killer curves.

She was a combination of girl-next-door freshness and dangerous sensuality and it's easy to see why girls aspire to be her - an intelligent woman, who is proud of her beautiful womanly curves and who knows how to use them to her advantage.

If you want to find out more about Bettie Page and see some of her fantastically sexy modelling photographs, check out her official homepage here.

Flowers and Feathers

No modern Rockabilly girl's hairstyle would be complete without their signature hair accessories!

Hair clips, flowers, feathers, combs, butterflies and so much more!



Who wouldn't want to be a Rockabilly chick with so many gorgeous hair accessories to choose from!



Check out Babygirlboutique.com for some of the best and most beautiful hair accessories out there!

Hair-Do How-To

In my earlier posts I talked about women's Rockabilly fashion and make-up, so today let's have a look at the women's Rockabilly hairstyles!

Women's Rockabilly hairstyles are varied, but still follow two basic general looks.

The first is a moderate-length, layered style. This style is always curly, making use of the hair's natural curl or being permed and roller-set.

The other look that is most common among the modern Rockabilly devotees is the one made popular by Bettie Page, a 1940's and 1950's pin-up model.

This look is a longer style, generally created with a blunt-cut fringe across the forehead. The hair is centre-parted, left long and generally styled to have soft waves along the legth, while the bangs are straight and smooth.

Having trouble trying to figure out how to do these styles?

You Tube has lots of videos to help! Here is one of my favourites:

Put Your Cat Clothes On!

This week's song is by Rockabilly pioneer Carl Perkins, the King of Rockabilly!

His best-known song is the hit "Blue Suede Shoes" - Yes, you heard right! Carl Perkins wrote that song, not Elvis Presley! With that song he virtually defined and established Rockabilly music in the Rock 'n' Roll era.

Many of his other songs were also covered by the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and the Beatles.

In 1987 Carl Perkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Blue, Blue, Blue Suede Shoes, Baby!

Ok, this week it's all about men's Rockabilly fashion - We've covered the clothes and hair, so let's finish off the look with the right kind of shoes!

Any true Rockabilly guy will tell you that Creepers are a must! They come in every colour under the sun, but the plain black and white are still the most common.
This website has loads to choose from and I can highly recommend them as it's where I also got mine!

Some other favourites are also:

Winklepickers




Spectators




and Jubilees

Pomps and Quiffs!

You can tell a Rockabilly guy a mile away just by looking at his hair!

Men wear well-greased pompadours, also called quiffs - think Joaquin Phoenix in "Walk the Line" for a modernized version. Elvis Presley and James Dean are also good hair models.

But how on earth do they get their hair like that you ask!

To achieve Elvis-worthy pompadour status, hair should be cut long on top and at the front, with shorter sides and back.

To style, slick hair back with grease. It's all about the pomade - without it a true Rockabilly quiff is nothing!

Oh and don't forget the back pocket comb! Just in case!

This kid sure has one hell of a pomp and shows you exactly how it's done:

Cool Cats!

The men's Rockabilly look is all about unique fashion that tells the world you're just a casual, laid-back sort of guy.

Modern Rockabilly fashion is like a combination of a 1950's greaser mixed with an old-school punk rocker.

You can notice a Rockabilly guy by their slicked quiffs, turn-ups and engineering boots, converse or creepers.

So to get the look, go for slim-cut jeans (turned up at the bottom!), white t-shirts, tough leather jackets, boots, bowling shirts, western shirts, slim fit suits and dark sunglasses.

Now there aren't as many webites that sell men's Rockabilly clothing as there are girl's - Sorry guys! I will definitley keep an eye out for them though and keep you cool cats posted!

Daddy-O's has some good stuff! The best places though to get cheap, unique stuff are definitley vintage and second-hand shops - It's amazing what can be found in them! Ebay is also a good place to look.

Here are some pictures for inspiration and some eye-candy for any girls reading!

One for the Money, Two for the Show!

I've put a new song up for this week and it's by no other than the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself - ELVIS PRESLEY!

Everybody knows him, lots of people love him and his music and style are much loved in the Rockabilly scene.

Now he wasn't just known for his singing though, he also had a few moves that would make any woman weak at the knees. So here's also a video of him shaking his stuff for the audience:

Put on the Dresses, Put on the Shoes! Put on the Make-Up, Put on the Rouge!

Since I talked about women's Rockabilly fashion in my last post, this one is all about the make-up to go with the look!

The Rockabilly make-up look is simple, but at the same time incredibly sexy!

It's all about full lashes and luscious red lips!

There are quite a few different Rockabilly make-up tutorials on YouTube, but this one is definitley my favourite:



I especially love the song! It's Transvestite Blues by Demented are Go!

Rocka-Babe!

One of the things that I love most about the Rockabilly scene is the fashion on both men and women. This post is all about the women!

Rockabilly Fashion sparked a trend in the 1950's that has never completely disappeared. As a rebellious style of music it would make sense that the followers would dress in a controversial manner.

Women's Rockabilly style was based on letting women, no matter what shape or size, show off their sexy bodies in an innocent fashion.

Rockabilly girls were also some of the first to wear trousers in public. The so-called "pedal pushers" or "cropped trousers" were loved by many, making way for women to begin wearing trousers on a daily basis.

Beautiful swing-dresses, cropped trousers, wedges, corsets, high-heels, pencil skirts - there are so many beautiful 1950's inspired things out there, if you know where to find them!

If you want authentic looking rockabilly clothes, then your best bet are vintage clothing shops or second-hand and charity shops. They're filled to bursting with unusual clothes from the 1950's and the best part of it is that they're unbelievably cheap!
Ebay also has the occasional treasure, so keep your eyes open for those!

If you prefer more modern Rockabilly clothes made to imitate the 1950's look, then the internet is the place to look.



Like what you see? Then you should definitley check out these websites for everything a Rockabilly girl could ever need or want!

www.vivienofholloway.com
www.daddyos.com
www.babygirlboutiqe.com
sunsetstar.com

Well Be Bop A Lula...

I have now added a music player to the blog. It's on the right hand side, so if you want to have a listen and find out what Rockabilly sounds like, just click on the play button and enjoy!
I'll be changing the song regularly and giving you a bit of info about the songs to give you little tasters of some well-known Rockabilly songs.

This week I've added the song Hot Rod Gang by the Stray Cats. During my research for this site I've kept on seeing the name of the band the Stray Cats, so I thought I'd check them out and I can't believe how many of their songs I actually recognized, but never knew that they were by them.

The Stray Cats are a Rockabilly band that formed in 1979. Originally from New York, the band moved to the UK to join the Rockabilly revival of the 1980's.
With music heavily based upon sounds from the 1950's, the group had several hit singles in both the UK and the US.

Here's a video of the Stray Cats in action. Hope you like it!

Rocka-What-Now?

In my first post I mentioned Rockabilly a couple of times, but hang on a minute, what is Rockabilly?

Take a pinch of Rock 'n' Roll, add a sprinkle of Hillbilly country music, mix it together and voilá! - Rockabilly!

Emerging in the 1950's, Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. With elements of rock, blues, country, boogie woogie and bluegrass music, many young musicians found a sound that appealed to the ears and dancing feet of their generation.
The influence and popularity of the style waned in the 1960's. Rockabilly however enjoyed a major revival during the late 1970's and early 1980's.
Recently the Rockabilly music and style has been revived again by a new generation of cool cats and rockin' rebels who love the rough-edged, countrified rock sounds and image.

Yet in reality Rockabilly is way more than just music. Rockabilly is a lifestyle, it is it's own subculture.

How it all began...

So as the title of this blog says, this is a girl's journey of Rockabilly discovery.

It was a few months ago when I had been aimlessly flicking through the channels on my television that I stumbled across the title sequence of a television program about tattoos. The song made me stop flicking and listen with a smile on my face as I watched four girls and a guy with unusual hairstyles and clothes strutting their stuff for the camera.

The program was L.A. Ink, the song was Dancing With Myself, a Billy Idol cover by Nouvelle Vague.

From that moment on I decided that I wanted to know more about the music and style.

So this is my journey of discovering anything and everything about Rockabilly. I will be making regular posts on my findings and hopefully helping others to learn more about Rockabilly too.