Bill Haley Stamp

**This Bill Haley stamp is a part of the Legends of American Music series. Make sure to check out my hub page dedicated to this long-running and important project of the United States Postal Service.

The Legends of American Music ostensibly began with the release of the Elvis Presley stamp in January of 1993. However, the Elvis stamp was also a part of the Rock & Roll and R&B set released on June 16th. The Elvis stamp was a juggernaut by itself, selling more than 500 million copies. It sucked all the oxygen out of the room, so to speak, in terms of the larger Legends project. So in many ways, it was when the full set came out six months later that the series really started.

Bill Haley

Born William John Clifton Haley was born in Highland Park Michigan in 1925. At the age of 7, during the Great Depression, his family moved to Bethel, Pennsylvania. Both of his parents were music, his mother a classically trained pianist and his father a banjo and mandolin player. As a result, Haley came to music early, and began singing and playing guitar in public when he was thirteen. Two years later, he set out on his own to make it as a musician.

Haley began by playing with any band, of any style, for pay or for food. He was eventually made a regular member of a group known as the “Down Homers.” He went on to play with the Four Aces of Western Swing band, and in the 1940s, Haley was one of the top cowboy yodelers in the country. For six years, Haley was the musical director at WPWA radio in Chester, Pennsylvania, while also leading his own country band, the Saddlemen.

Rock & Roll

In 1952, the group rebranded, becoming Bill Haley and His Comets (originally, Bill Haley with Haley’s Comets). The following year, their song “Crazy Man, Crazy” became the first rock and roll song to hit the American pop charts. More importantly, in 1954, Haley and his band released their mega hit “Rock Around the Clock.” This was followed closely afterwards by a second hit, “Shake, Rattle, and Roll.”

Haley is considered a pivotal figure in the early history of rock & roll. While it was not the first rock & roll song, “Rock Around the Clock” is an iconic early song. It has come to represent the entire early era of rock & roll. It was further ensconced in this position when it was used in the film Blackboard Jungle in 1955. The band found major success with other songs including “See You Later, Alligator,” “Rocket 88,” and “Razzle Dazzle,” among others.

In the 1960s, rock & roll went through a metamorphosis with the British Invasion, and Haley’s style was seen as old fashioned. However, in the late years of the decade, there was a bit of a nostalgia boom for 50s rock, and Haley once again found himself in demand. He continued to play until 1980. He died in 1981 of a heart attack.

The Stamp

The design for the Buddy Holly stamp was by Mark Stutzman. He also was the designer for the Elvis stamp, as well as the Ritchie Valens and Billy Haley stamps in the rock & roll / R&B set. All of these stamps are in the same, almost cartoon-like style. I am not a big fan of the look of these stamps. However, there is no doubt, that Bill Haley belongs in this group as one of the great early rock & roll musicians.

Make sure to go back and listen to some of Bill Haley’s hits. They are still great fun!