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

~ (Author), David McGee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Carl Perkins tends to turn up in rock-and-roll chronicles as an also-ran: the guy who wrote "Blue Suede Shoes," cut a crackling version of the song for Sun, and then saw Elvis nudge it out of the spotlight with his version. Certainly he lacked Presley's personal magnetism as a performer. But Perkins, who was born in Tennessee in 1932, was a true original. As a singer and guitarist, he was one of the prime begetters of rockabilly. And his songs--not only "Blue Suede Shoes," but "Dixie Fried," "Matchbox," "Honey Don't," and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby"--were definitive expressions of hipster attitude, which probably explains why the Beatles recorded the latter three. David McGee, a frequent contributor to Rolling Stone, writes about Perkins with great sympathy and tact. He manages to describe his subject's struggles (of which there were many) without descending into voyeuristic pathography. As for Perkins himself, he remains proud of his legacy: "I loved it--there ain't nothing prettier than two clean teenagers out there jitterbugging. And if they want to jitterbug at my funeral to 'Blue Suede Shoes,' I might just raise up and say: Go, Cat, Go!"

From Publishers Weekly

The man who wrote "Blue Suede Shoes," and who will forever be associated with the seminal early rockabilly of Memphis's Sun Records label, has always raised a question mark in rock histories: Why, when his lead-guitar playing was so extraordinary and his songwriting talent so obvious, did he never become a celebrity on the magnitude of his label-mates Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Elvis? In this unusually pricey amalgam of biography and autobiography (on which McGee holds sole copyright), Perkins and McGee (a music journalist making his book debut) continually play at that puzzle. Born in 1932 as a sharecropper's son in Tiptonville, Tenn., Perkins had a perfect primary education in American roots music: he grew up picking cotton alongside his family, internalizing field spirituals, and as a teenager made music with his brothers in rough-hewn "tonks." When his "Blue Suede Shoes" single sold a million copies in 1956, Perkins found himself singularly unequipped for stardom: married with two children, he disliked mob scenes and had no PR sense. As the Sun years fade, the narrative spins ever faster: the ten years 1969-1979 are dealt with in as many pages. Ultimately, the Perkins/ McGee collaboration hinders narrative flow, with McGee's third-person prose, full of historical and critical insight, frequently disrupted by Perkins's unilluminating homilies about death, love and self-reliance. Photos, discography not seen by PW. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Books (Adult Trd Pap) (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786882379
• ISBN-13: 978-0786882373
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #265,035 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring!!, October 3, 2002

By	Bill Taylor (Romney,WV) - See all my reviews

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!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a man; what a life!, June 18, 2003

By	Mark S. Crawford (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Go, Cat, Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins, the King of Rockabilly (Hardcover)

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 . . .

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone interested in American music, January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Go, Cat, Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins, the King of Rockabilly (Hardcover)

The goal of any good biography should be to give the reader a sense that he/she knows the subject. After reading Go Cat Go, I felt like I knew Carl Perkins', good and bad. In addition, I got a real sense of his music and how intertwined the music and the man were. I also got a good sense of Memphis and West Tennessee in the 1950's and what it was like to make it in the fledgling rock and roll industry. An additional bonus is that many of CP's songs are printed with stories behind the lyrics. For any songwriter, reading the lyrics is truly inspiring. Nice work!