Go, Cat, Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins, the King of Rockabilly

Rating:
Summary: What a man; what a life!
Review: I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

Rating:
Summary: Go Carl, Go!
Review: Much has been made of the tragic events in Carl Perkins' life, but in the end his values and personal strength stood him in much better stead than most of his Sun contemporaries (see Escott and Hawkin's book on Sun Records). Pretty good for a kid who, with his brothers, were so poor that they were skinny from undernourishment as children. This book follows Carl from childhood until near the end (he passed away shortly after publication). The section on the Tennessee tonk scene in the 40's and 50's and "tush hogs" is especially colorful.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring!!
Review: What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it.
This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!