Shakin' Stevens Biography
Rockabilly continues to live in the music of Welsh guitarist and singer Shakin' Stevens (born: Michael Barratt). Although only a child during the music's heyday in the late '50s, Stevens has combined the spirit of Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, and Gene Vincent into his own style. Known affectionately as the "Prince of Wales", Stevens has been a fixture on the Brit-pop charts. As one of the best-selling artists in Europe in the late '80s, Stevens placed 28 tunes in the United Kingdom's Top 30 charts. His hits include remakes of Buck Owens' "Hot Dog", the Blasters' "Marie Marie", and Rosemary Clooney's 1954 hit "This Ole House", which reached number one in 1981. The youngest of 11 children, Stevens was born in the Cardiff suburb of Ely. Introduced to rock & roll, by an older brother, he became a fan of the local rock band the Backbeat and was deeply influenced by the band's singer, Rockin' Louie. Attending the band's gigs as often as possible, he was invited to sing with them on several occasions. Leaving school, Stevens took a series of odd jobs to supplement his income as a singer for such bands as the Cossacks, the Olympians, and the Denims. Forming his own group, Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsetz, in 1968, Stevens spent the next decade touring throughout the United Kingdom. A major turning point in Stevens' career came in 1977, when Stevens was asked to audition for a West End musical, Elvis, by producer Jack Good. Accepting the invitation, he disbanded his group after a farewell concert at the Broom in London's Woolrich section and devoted his attention to the musical production. Attempting to capitalize on his exposure with the show, Stevens sought to build his career as a solo performer. His efforts, however, were thwarted by a series of unexpected circumstances. Although he recorded three impressive singles and an album, Play Loud, for Track Records, the label went backrupt and the recordings went out of print. He had no better luck when recording an album for CBS, who rejected it on first listening. Stevens continued to keep his head above water, working with Good on an ITV show, Oh Boy, and a 26-program series, Let's Rock. With Good's assistance, Stevens convinced CBS to give him a second chance. Although his efforts appeared futile when the first three singles on the CBS subsidiary Epic flopped, Stevens' turned things around when his turbo-charged rendition of "Hot Dog" reached the 24th position on the U.K. charts in January 1980.Biography by allmusic.com
