Paul Edward Peek Jr. (June 23, 1937 – April 3, 2001) was an early rockabilly pioneer who is primarily remembered as a member of Gene Vincent's Blue Caps. Though Peek was a competent vocalist, he never made the big time on his own, partly due to an alcohol problem that grew worse as he grew older.
In September 1956 Peek was playing steel guitar in a Washington, D.C. club, when he had a chance meeting with Gene Vincent’s manager, Sheriff Tex Davis, who was looking for a new rhythm guitarist for the Blue Caps to replace Willie Williams. Paul passed the audition and only two days after his recruitment he was on a plane to Hollywood with Gene and the other Blue Caps for a cameo appearance in the now classic rock n roll movie "The Girl Can’t Help It". Peek is the gum-chewing hoodlum on the right, strumming a red Gretsch like a man possessed (see YouTube video below) during a lip-sync performance of "Be Bop A Lula".
The Blue Caps had a relentless touring schedule during the 15 months that Paul stayed with the group, including a tour of Australia. With fellow member Tommy Facenda he developed the famous "Clapper boys" routine on stage. Paul also co-wrote three songs recorded by Gene Vincent, "Pink Thunderbird", "Time Will Bring You Everything" and "Yes I Love You Baby". In December 1957 Paul left the Blue Caps to pursue a solo career, but he (and Tommy Facenda, who had quit at the same time) would return temporarily to play with Gene in the film "Hot Rod Gang", as the clapper boy routine was such an important ingredient of the Blue Caps’ stage act.
Peek had the distinction of being the first artist to record for National Recording Corporation out of Atlanta. In 1958, NRC 001 ("Sweet Skinny Jenny"/"The Rock-A-Round") was recorded at WGST Radio Station. In 1958 Paul recorded a novelty song, "Olds-Mo-William", and performed the song on Dick Clark's Saturday Night "Beech Nut" National TV Show. Because of distribution problems with NRC Records, the recording died before it could become a national hit.
He also appeared on New York City's "The Big Beat" with host Alan Freed. Musicians who appeared on Peek's NRC singles included Joe South, Jerry Reed, Ray Stevens, and Sonny James. Eskew Reeder, Jr, also known as Esquerita, was a co-writer and piano player on this first single. Reeder, a fellow Carolinian, was instrumental in developing the style popularized by Little Richard. Esquerita's wild recordings for Capitol Records are collector's items. The flip side of "Olds-Mo-William", "I'm Not Your Fool Anymore," has a fine vocal group backing up Paul, the members of which are unknown.
Peek's NRC recordings were bootlegged in Europe for years, and have now been re-released on CD by NRC. Although Peek recorded for several major labels, some of his most memorable recordings are the NRC singles, "Olds-Mo-William" and "The Rock-A-Round". Peek's biggest sellers were "Brother-In-Law (He's A Moocher)", (1961) produced by Joe South on Fairlane Records (distributed by King), reaching No. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Pin The Tail On The Donkey" (1966), another Joe South Production on CBS Records reaching No. 91 on the chart. The second 45 for that label, "I’m Movin' Uptown", showed Paul in a completely new style, which would later be called Northern Soul.
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| Paul with Link Wray 1998 |
Peek made no new recordings after an isolated single for the 123 label in 1969, but he never left the music business and remained a central figure on the Atlanta music scene. He continued to play music professionally, establishing a stage persona that made him a wildly popular nightclub performer in Atlanta, GA for decades. His Atlanta bands included some of the city's finest sidemen, including local guitar virtuoso Kenneth Watkins. In 1982 Peek and some former members of the Blue Caps made the first of several trips to rockabilly festivals in Europe, where the Blue Caps have always been very popular.
Paul became really ill in 1999 with cirrhosis of the liver. With no insurance to cover medical bills an Internet appeal was launched where fans and rockabilly enthusiasts contributed to a medical fund. Paul continued performing when he could until he succumbed to the disease in Lithonia, Georgia, on April 3, 2001, at the age of 63. In 2012, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Peek as a member of the Blue Caps by a special committee, aimed at correcting the previous mistake of not including the Blue Caps with Gene Vincent.
(Edited from Wikipedia, This Is My Story & Salon newsletter)