Duane Eddy – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Duane Eddy Biography

Duane Eddy is an instrumental rock guitarist from the United States. He had a string of hit recordings produced by Lee Hazlewood in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including “Rebel-‘Rouser,” “Peter Gunn,” and “Because They’re Young,” which were recognised for their uniquely “twangy” sound. By 1963, he had sold 12 million records. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2008, he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.

Corning, New York, is where Eddy was born. He began playing the guitar when he was five years old. His family relocated to Tucson, Arizona, in 1951, and then to Coolidge, Arizona, in 1952. He formed Jimmy and Duane with his pal Jimmy Delbridge when he was 16 years old (who later recorded as Jimmy Dell).

Eddy secured a recording deal with Lester Sill and Lee Hazlewood to record at the Audio Recorders studio in Phoenix in 1958. All of the singles and LPs were leased to Jamie Records in Philadelphia by Sill and Hazlewood. The opening riff, which was lifted from Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” was later imitated by the Beach Boys on “Surfin’ U.S.A.” and reached number 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1958. “Rebel-‘Rouser,” the follow-up, featured a saxophone overdub by Los Angeles session musician Gil Bernal, as well as yells and handclaps by doo-wop group the Rivingtons.The song was Eddy’s first hit, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It sold over one million copies, earning Eddy his first gold disc.

Over the next few years, Eddy had a string of successful recordings, and members of his band, including Steve Douglas, saxophonist Jim Horn, and keyboardist Larry Knechtel, went on to work with Phil Spector’s Wrecking Crew. “The songs — ‘Peter Gunn,’ ‘Cannonball,’ ‘Shazam,’ and ‘Forty Miles of Bad Road,’ undoubtedly the greatest — also did their thing to help keep the bawdy spirit of rock and roll alive, during a time when it was in danger of getting watered down,” writes writer Richie Unterberger. Eddy’s debut album, Have ‘Twangy’ Guitar Will Travel, was released on January 9, 1958, and reached number five on the album charts after spending 82 weeks there.

On his fourth album, Songs of Our Heritage (1960), he played acoustic guitar or banjo on every track. In 1960, Eddy’s biggest hit was the title song for the film Because They’re Young, which featured a string arrangement and peaked at number four in America and number two in the United Kingdom. It was his second million-seller album. Eddy’s records were continuously more successful in the United Kingdom than in his native America, and readers of the UK’s NME voted him World’s Number One Musical Personality in 1960, dethroning Elvis Presley.

Eddy began his acting career in the 1960s. His third gold disc came from the sale of a million copies of his 1962 single, “(Dance With The) Guitar Man,” which he co-wrote with Hazlewood. From the 1960s until the 1990s, he had a string of successful singles and covers that boosted his popularity.

In 1994, Eddy teamed up with Carl Perkins and The Mavericks to contribute “Matchbox” to the Red Hot Organization’s AIDS charity album Red Hot + Country. Eddy was the lead guitarist on Foreigner‘s top-ten Adult Contemporary smash “Until the End of Time” in 1995. In October 2010, Eddy performed at the Royal Festival Hall in London, which was completely sold out. This success encouraged Richard Hawley in Sheffield, England to produce a follow-up album for Mad Monkey/EMI. The album, Road Trip, was released on June 20, 2011. Mojo placed the album at number 37 on its list of “Top 50 albums of 2011.”

Eddy returned to the UK in 2018 for an 80th birthday tour with Liverpool singer-songwriter Robert Vincent, appearing on October 23 at the London Palladium and October 30 at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

Some of Eddy’s awards include being number One World Musical Personality in the NME Poll (UK: 1960), Grammy Winner – Best Rock Instrumental – “Peter Gunn” (1986), Grammy Nomination – Best Country Instrumental – (Doc Watson album) (1992), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member (1994), Rockwalk Induction (1997), Presented with “Chetty” award by Chet Atkins (2000), Guitar Player Magazine Legend Award (2004), Musicians Hall of Fame Member (2008), and Mojo Icon Award (UK: 2010).

Duane Eddy Discography

Road TripSpotifyYouTubeAmazon
Lonely GuitarSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
“Twangin'” Up a Storm!Apple
Dance with the Guitar ManSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Twangy Guitar – Silky StringsYouTubeAmazon
Twistin’ ‘N’ Twangin’AppleAmazon
Girls! Girls! Girls!SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The “Twangs” the “Thang”SpotifyAppleAmazon
Especially for YouSpotifyAppleYouTube
Have ‘Twangy’ Guitar Will TravelSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Was Duane Eddy’S Biggest Hit?

“Rebel Rouser” was Duane Eddy’s biggest hit. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958. Eddy also had two other top ten hits with “Peter Gunn” and “Cannonball”.

What Song Is Duane Eddy Famous For?

Duane Eddy is famous for his song “Rebel Rouser.” The song was a huge hit in the United States and helped to launch Eddy’s career. He would go on to release a number of other popular songs, including “Peter Gunn” and “Cannonball.” Eddy is considered one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century.

Duane Eddy?

Duane Eddy is a rock and roll musician from the United States. He is best known for his work in the 1960s with his twangy guitar sound.

Most Searched For Duane Eddy Songs

Rebel RouserSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Forty Miles Of Bad RoadSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Peter GunnSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
House Of The Rising SunSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Moovin’ and Groovin’SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Stalkin’SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Ghost Riders In The SkySpotifyYouTubeAmazon
Play Me Like You Play Your GuitarSpotifyYouTube
MonsoonSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
The Ballad of the Green BeretsSpotifyYouTubeAmazon