Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
Billy Lee Riley
Music
| | Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 14, 2024
1. Billy Lee Riley Marker
Pioneer Rock n Roll star on legendary Sun Records label Had hits with Red Hot and Flyin Saucer Rock n Roll Performed with Glen Campbell, Dean Martin, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Sammy Davis, Jr., Herb Alpert, Johnny Rivers and Jerry Lee Lewis
Pocahontas, Arkansas Inducted 2000
Erected by Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment.
Location. 34° 30.65′ N, 93° 3.232′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is on Central Avenue (State Highway 7) just north of Spring Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk on the north side of the Hot Springs City Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 629 Central Avenue, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Don Grisham (here, next to this marker); Dick Powell (here, next to this marker); Bill Dickey (here, next to this marker); Larry Snyder (here, next to this marker); Fay Jones (here, next to this marker); Tracy Lawrence
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Billy Lee Riley (19332009) (Encyclopedia of Arkansas).
(By Kayla Kesterson) Excerpt: Billy Lee Riley was a rockabilly musician whose career began in the Arkansas Delta and peaked in the 1950s after he signed a record deal with Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. He recorded many songs during his life, alternating between the rockabilly style that made him famous and the blues music that he loved.(Submitted on January 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Billy Lee Riley was born in Pocahontas, Arkansas, on October 5, 1933, one of nine children. The Riley family moved frequently to different towns in Arkansas, at times living in intense poverty. Through this lifestyle, Riley found a taste for the blues. At age six, he learned to play the harmonica and was introduced to the blues for the first time.
Rileys fickle career hit its high in the late 1950s while he was recording for Sun Records. In 1957, he released his two most popular songs, Flying Saucer Rock and Roll, a track that encouraged him to call his bandthe Little Green Men, and Red Hot. It was during this period that he met Jerry Lee Lewis, who played in his band for a short while.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20242. Billy Lee Riley MarkerLooking east from Central Avenue; it is the 2nd from the left of four markers in this photo. The Hot Springs City Visitor Center parking lot is in the background.
In 1962, Riley moved to Los Angeles, California, where he began working as a studio musician for artists such as Glen Campbell and Leon Russell. He was a featured harmonica player on recordings for the Beach Boys, Sammy Davis Jr., Rick Nelson, and Dean Martin, among others. He appeared on several television shows and recorded six albums before leaving California in 1966.
In 2022, he was posthumously inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
2. Billy Lee Riley - Flyin' Saucers Rock 'n' Roll (YouTube). (Submitted on January 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 17, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 153 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 17, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
