Uh oh...
It appears that you're using a severely outdated version of Safari on Windows. Many features won't work correctly, and functionality can't be guaranteed. Please try viewing this website in Edge, Mozilla, Chrome, or another modern browser. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused!
Read More about this safari issue.
Arkansas has a rich musical history centered around a 111-mile stretch of Highway 67 in the northeast portion of the state. Officially designated the Rock N’ Roll Highway in 2009, the route was once a vibrant musical corridor for rockabilly performers, including icons like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Sonny Burgess, who are among those credited with inspiring the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.
Rockabilly Music
Rockabilly is a genre of music that blends elements of country music with rhythm and blues, creating a distinct sound known for its upbeat tempo and energetic, twangy guitar riffs. The musical style emerged in the 1950s and 60s, predominantly in the American South, with Arkansas at the forefront of the movement.
The term “rockabilly” comes from the words “rock” and “hillbilly,” but the movement wasn’t just about music. It helped to shape fashion, dance and youth culture. Rockabilly bridged the gap between country and rhythm and blues, attracting fans from both worlds and playing a crucial role in defining the early sound and culture (such as fan-crazed events) of rock ‘n’ roll music.
These eight artists featured at Cavanaugh Park in Walnut Ridge performed at schools, gymnasiums, juke joints and music halls throughout Arkansas. They are known as the music legends of the Rock N’ Roll Highway.
Photo by Colinedward828, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sonny Burgess
Sonny Burgess brought a high-energy sound to Arkansas’s Rock N’ Roll Highway, where he played with his band, the Pacers. His mix of country and early rock, paired with a lively stage presence, won over local crowds. “Red Headed Woman” and “We Wanna Boogie” became favorites that kept the juke joints buzzing.
Photo by United Talent Inc. (management)/MCA Records, Public domain
Conway Twitty
A boy named Harold Jenkins began his musical career at an early age when his family moved to Helena, Arkansas. At age 10, he stepped up to the mic to perform on local KFFA radio. By age 12, he was starring in a weekly radio show, leading his first singing group, the Phillips County Ramblers. In his late twenties, after a stint in the army, he adopted the stage name Conway Twitty and began focusing on his musical career. His smooth, soulful voice shone in his rockabilly hit “It’s Only Make Believe,” leading him to success in the local club circuit and beyond before he paired with Loretta Lynn and took over country.
Billy Lee Riley
“Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll” and “Red Hot” were two of Billy Lee Riley’s first hits. Born the son of a sharecropper in Pocahontas, Riley learned about blues music from his African-American playmates. He learned how to play harmonica at age six and went on to learn guitar, rhythm guitar, bass and drums. Riley brought his gritty, rough-around-the-edges style to the Rock N’ Roll Highway, giving the scene a jolt of authentic rockabilly energy that stuck with fans.
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash didn’t just sing—he created poetry with his music. Often influenced by his childhood in Dyess, Arkansas, Cash turned the trials of life during the Great Depression into timeless tunes. His unique mix of gospel, country, and rockabilly resonated far beyond the Rock N’ Roll Highway with a sound that was tough, soulful, and real. His classic tunes like “I Walk the Line” and “Folsom Prison Blues” still resonate today.
Photo public domain
Jerry Lee Lewis
The piano didn’t know what hit it when Jerry Lee Lewis began pounding its keys. His wild-man charisma and devil-may-care attitude lit up rockabilly with tracks like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Arkansas crowds ate it up and helped to jump-start his career. Lewis’s success suffered from some personal controversy in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but his 1968 single “Another Place, Another Time” climbed the country charts and revived his career. He was later one of the first inductees into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison’s voice is what propelled him to stardom. Orbison’s sound—part rock, part ballad—gave his songs emotional depth and a touch of mystery that captivated his audience. Songs like “Only the Lonely” and “Crying” remain masterpieces and highlight what made him special.
Wanda Jackson
Considered the “Queen of Rockabilly,” Wanda Jackson strutted onto the scene with a sassy growl and a rockabilly edge, leading to regular invitations to Arkansas’s music joints. Her country sass blended with the up-and-coming rock sound in tunes like “Let’s Have a Party” and “Fujiyama Mama.” Jackson broke into a male-dominated industry, paving the way for women musicians in multiple genres.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley, the Tupelo-born “King of Rock N’ Roll,” turned Arkansas into his playground with electrifying shows along the Rock N’ Roll Highway. His hip-shaking, voice-quaking magic—rooted in gospel, blues, and country—made him a global icon, but Arkansas lays claim to starting his career off right with more than forty visits to the state between 1954 and 1977. Songs like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” brought swagger and soul and supported his continuance as a household name, almost fifty years after his death.
Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins had a lean, mean rockabilly groove, which he perfected on Arkansas’s Highway 67. His twangy guitar licks and cool vibe personified the genre and earned him the “King of Rockabilly” title. Fans couldn’t get enough of his laid-back rebellion, which showed in tunes like “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Matchbox.” Perkins stuck with the genre throughout his career and went on to write songs that were performed by genre artists Elvis and Johnny Cash, as well as the Beatles and Eric Clapton.
Check out these articles to learn more about Arkansas’s historic music scene:
- Play it Loud: Barton Coliseum Museum
- Discover Arkansas podcast: Music
- Blues History in Pine Bluff
- King Biscuit Time Radio Show
- Mountain Home: Folk Music Capital of the World
- Arkansas Delta Music Trail
- Dyess Colony: boyhood home of Johnny Cash
- Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame
- Arkansongs Public Radio Show
- Rock ‘N Roll Highway 67 Webisode series
- Delta Music Ride
We do the work.
You check your email.
Sign up for our weekly e-news.
Get stories sent straight to your inbox!
Like this story? Read more from Julie Kohl
Supper clubs offer something a little different from your typical night...
When I moved to Searcy, Arkansas in 1996, I saw the move as a stepping...
What is it about margaritas that makes them such a crowd favorite? Is it...
Join the Conversation
Leave a Comment