The Blue Moon Boys

On July 18, 1953, Elvis Presley recorded a single at Sun Studio as a gift for his mother's birthday, the Ink Spots' "My Happiness", with "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" on the flipside.{{cite web| url=http://www.elvislovemetender.com/presley/where-did-elvis-presley-start-his-career| title=Where did Elvis Presley start his career?| publisher=elvislovemetender.com| access-date=2010-10-04| archive-date=2011-07-10| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710184750/http://www.elvislovemetender.com/presley/where-did-elvis-presley-start-his-career| url-status=dead}}

Studio owner Sam Phillips was not there, so Presley's recording was managed by his secretary, Marion Keisker, who kept a demo copy of the recording.Guralnick, Peter. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley. Little, Brown; 1994. {{ISBN|0-316-33225-9}}. Retrieved 2010-09-27.

At Phillips' behest Keisker called Presley for an appointment at the studio almost a year later; he returned on June 26, 1954.{{cite web | url=http://www.history-of-rock.com/sam_phillips_sun_records_two.htm| title=Sam Phillips' Sun Records| publisher=history-of-rock.com|access-date = 2010-10-04}} Although most of the session was not recorded, Phillips was impressed by Presley and introduced him to the country music band Starlight Wranglers' guitarist Scotty Moore, who later introduced Presley to double bass player Bill Black.{{cite web| url=http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/elvis_presley_1953_1955.html| title=Elvis Aaron Presley 1953-1955: The Hillbilly Cat.| publisher=Elvispresleymusic.com.au| access-date=2010-09-27| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921184326/http://elvispresleymusic.com.au/elvis_presley_1953_1955.html| archive-date=2010-09-21}}

On July 5, 1954, the trio headed to the Sun Studios for a recording test together. They recorded the songs "Harbor Lights" and "I Love You Because", and during a break they performed an impromptu version of Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right", which impressed Phillips, who asked for a refinement of the interpretation that later was recorded.

Phillips played the recording for WHBQ's DJ Dewey Phillips, who played the song on his regular show next night, on July 8.{{cite web |url=http://lyrics.elvispresley.com.au/lyrics/thats_all_right_mama.html| title=That's Alright| publisher=Elvispresleymusic.com.au|access-date = 2010-10-04}}

On July 9, the trio recorded what became the flipside to "That's All Right", an up-tempo rockabilly version of Bill Monroe's waltz "Blue Moon of Kentucky".{{cite web | url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/show_pic.php?key=3318&type=ls | title=Rockin' Country Style| publisher=rcs-discography.com|access-date = 2010-09-27}} The single was released on July 19, 1954,{{cite web | url=http://www.elvicities.com/~elvis100/songsbluemoonof.htm | title=Blue Moon of Kentucky| publisher=elvicities.com|access-date = 2010-10-04}} and was a local hit in Arkansas, Mississippi and New Orleans.

File:The Blue Moon Boys2.jpg (drums)]]

Scotty Moore became the manager of the band, and they toured several cities in the south, the three members still working at their regular employments when not touring.Guralnick, Peter. Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley. Little, Brown; 1994. {{ISBN|0-316-33225-9}}. Both Moore and Black focused more on the group after they let Presley perform at the regular Starlight Wranglers show on the Bon Air club, where the reception of the audience was unfavorable, and led to animosity between them and the other members of the group for having to leave the stage.

The Blue Moon Boys appeared on a regular basis at Eagle's Nest club in Memphis, Tennessee.{{cite web |url=http://www.elvisconcerts.com/liv1954.htm| title=1954. The First Concerts|publisher=elvisconcerts.com| access-date = 2010-10-04}} Sam Phillips booked the band an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, which was not well received.

After the failure, Phillips contacted Opry's main competition, the Louisiana Hayride. They made their first appearance on October 16, 1954. Presley sang "That's All Right" followed by the flipside of the record, "Blue Moon of Kentucky". The performance was well received and they signed a one-year contract to be official members of the Hayride,{{cite web| url=http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ElvisHayride1.html| title=Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel, Memphis| publisher=yahoo.com| access-date=2010-09-28| archive-date=2018-09-27| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927110604/http://www.rockabillyhall.com/ElvisHayride1.html| url-status=dead}} while Presley also signed a new management contract with Bob Neal.

On August 8, D.J. Fontana joined the band as the drummer on a regular basis after having played occasionally with them, the first time in Shreveport and subsequently on tour.

After disputes with Hank Snow's manager, Tom Parker, who booked most of Presley's appearances, Bob Neal turned over the contract to Colonel Parker who became officially Presley's manager on December 15, 1955.{{cite web |url=http://www.pophistorydig.com/?tag=colonel-tom-parker| title=Elvis On The Road: 1955-56| publisher=pophistorydig.com| access-date = 2010-10-04}}

In January 1956, Presley signed a $40,000 contract with RCA Victor,{{cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800038875/bio| title=Elvis Presley Biography| publisher=yahoo.com| access-date = 2010-10-04}} recording for the first time on January 10, 1956, Mae Axton's "Heartbreak Hotel".{{cite web | url=http://lyrics.elvispresley.com.au/lyrics/heartbreak_hotel.html/lyrics/heartbreak_hotel.html| title=Heartbreak Hotel| publisher=elvispresley.com.au|access-date = 2010-10-04}} The Blue Moon Boys continued appearing on Presley's recordings as well as in movies like Loving You. The first live appearance of the band since Presley's army return was in 1960, during The Frank Sinatra Show's special Welcome Home Elvis —minus Bill Black, who had left The Blue Moon Boys in 1958. The band's last appearance was during the Elvis 1968 Comeback Special{{cite web | url=http://www.scottymoore.net/history.html| title=History| publisher=scottymoore.net|access-date = 2010-10-04}} dedicated to the memory of Bill Black, who had died on October 21, 1965, of a brain tumor. In 2007, the Blue Moon Boys were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1575159/unsung-heroes-honored-at-musicians-hall-of-fame-induction.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307115112/http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1575159/unsung-heroes-honored-at-musicians-hall-of-fame-induction.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 7, 2008|title=Unsung Heroes Honored at Musicians Hall of Fame Induction|work=CMT News}}

• Elvis Presley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, lead guitar, percussion, bass guitar (1954–1968; died August 16, 1977)
• Scotty Moore – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1954–1968; died June 28, 2016)
• Bill Black – double bass, bass guitar, backing vocals (1954–1958; died October 21, 1965)
• D. J. Fontana – drums, percussion, backing vocals (1955–1968; died June 13, 2018)

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:26

PlotArea = left:115 bottom:80 top:05 right:10

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy

Period = from:06/01/1954 till:01/01/1969

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =

id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals

id:lead value:teal legend:Lead_guitar

id:guitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar

id:dbass value:darkblue legend:Double_bass

id:bass value:blue legend:Bass_guitar

id:drums value:orange legend:Drums

id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards

id:percussion value:claret legend:Percussion

id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album

LineData =

layer:back color:lines

at:03/23/1956

at:10/19/1956

at:10/15/1957

at:02/06/1959

at:07/24/1959

at:04/08/1960

at:11/10/1960

at:06/17/1961

at:06/05/1962

at:02/27/1967

Legend = position:bottom columns:1

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:2 start:1955

ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1955

BarData =

bar:Elvis text:"Elvis Presley"

bar:Scotty text:"Scotty Moore"

bar:Bill text:"Bill Black"

bar:DJ text:"D.J. Fontana"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

bar:Elvis from:06/01/1954 till:01/01/1959 color:vocals width:3

bar:Elvis from:01/01/1960 till:01/01/1968 color:vocals

bar:Elvis from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1969 color:vocals

bar:Elvis from:06/01/1954 till:01/01/1959 color:guitar

bar:Elvis from:01/01/1960 till:07/01/1961 color:guitar width:3

bar:Elvis from:01/01/1968 till:01/01/1969 color:guitar width:3

bar:Elvis from:01/01/1955 till:04/01/1958 color:keys width:7

bar:Elvis from:01/01/1968 till:10/01/1968 color:lead width:7

bar:Scotty from:06/01/1954 till:01/01/1959 color:lead

bar:Scotty from:01/01/1960 till:07/01/1968 color:guitar

bar:Scotty from:01/01/1960 till:02/01/1964 color:lead width:3

bar:Scotty from:06/01/1967 till:06/01/1968 color:lead width:3

bar:Scotty from:06/01/1968 till:01/01/1969 color:lead

bar:Bill from:06/01/1954 till:01/01/1959 color:dbass

bar:Bill from:01/01/1957 till:01/01/1959 color:bass width:3

bar:DJ from:08/08/1955 till:01/01/1959 color:drums

bar:DJ from:01/01/1960 till:06/01/1968 color:drums

bar:DJ from:06/01/1960 till:06/01/1968 color:percussion width:3

bar:DJ from:06/01/1968 till:10/01/1968 color:percussion

bar:DJ from:10/01/1968 till:01/01/1969 color:drums

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Elvis Presley}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Moon Boys}}

Category:Sun Records artists

Category:Elvis Presley

Category:American rockabilly music groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1954

Category:American rockabilly musicians