One of Detroit’s most legendary recording studios has announced a one-time event in celebration of rockabilly’s history in the Motor City.
In addition to welcoming Craig Maki & Keith Cady (authors of Detroit Music: Mountaineers, Cowboys and Rockabillies), United Sound Systems recording studio will celebrate the rockabilly sounds of Detroit-native Johnny Powers, and Texas’ Jimmy Kirkland on Sunday, July 27, from 12-3PM. Attendees will be given a unique chance to tour the United Sounds facility and converse with some of rockabilly’s most renowned characters.
Detroit’s historic United Sound Systems is world-renowned for facilitating the recordings of artists such as: Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker, Jackie Wilson, Berry Gordy, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Bob Segar, Parliament Funkadelic, MC5 and Red Hot Chili Peppers. It played an instrumental part in the birth of Motown, and the rise of Detroit as an international hub for musicians.
Johnny Powers, raised in East Detroit, is the first white musician to be officially signed to Motown Records, and a legendary piece of the rockabilly story as an artist, writer and producer. He is best known for his single from Fox Records, tiled “Long Blond Hair,” and is current a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Tickets for Sunday’s rockabilly extravaganza and tour are $10. For more information, visit the United Sounds website or call (313) 883-1833. Copies of Maki and Cady’s Detroit Music: Mountaineers, Cowboys and Rockabillies will be available for purchase on-site.
Listen to Johnny Powers’ “Long Blond Hair” below: