Sonny West is a rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

-musician. West wrote and recorded both "Oh, Boy!

Oh, Boy! (song)

"Oh, Boy!" is a song originally performed by Buddy Holly's band The Crickets. It was written by Sonny West and Bill Tilghman; the band's manager Norman Petty added his name as co-composer. The song was recorded between June 29 and July 1, 1957, at Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, with Holly...

" and "Rave On

Rave On

"Rave On" is a 1958 song written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty, first recorded by Sonny West . It was also recorded by Buddy Holly, and was one of his last hits during his lifetime...

" on the Atlantic label in the late 1950s. Although West's original versions of these songs failed to achieve wide recognition or commercial success, the Lubbock singing sensation Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

 covered both "Oh, Boy!" and "Rave On" and transformed them into two of the most memorable Rock & Roll songs of the late 1950s. Singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...

has often remarked that "Rave On" is one of the greatest Rock & Roll songs of all time, and that he psyches up for live performances by singing it backstage.

External links

• http://www.rockabillyhall.com/SonnyWest.html Rockabilly Hall of Fame
• http://bosstracks.blogspot.com/2008/04/boss-tracks-rave-on-buddy-holly.html