Birth of Rock and Roll

On Saturday night, May 3, it will be a night of legendary music played by a few of DC’s legendary musicians – Billy Hancock, Daryl Davis, Ron Hollway, and Billy’s band members – Steve Wolf, Barry Hart, and Dan Hovey.

When I talked to Billy about this event, he asked me if I remembered those movies with Bill Haley and the Comets, or Elvis’ concerts where the dancers and audience are going wild.

Here's what you can expect – music from the birth of Rock and Roll – Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins.




Just who is Billy Hancock? Look at the list of people this Rockabilly Hall of Famer has played with!

Hancock has shared the stage over the last 40 years with the likes of Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, The Clovers, Link Wray, The Orioles, Big Joe Turner, jazz coronetist/trumpeter Ed Polcer, Janis Joplin (Big Brother & the Holding Company), guitar pioneer Les Paul, American Folk Rock Legend Sleepy LaBeef, Jump Blues singer/sax player Bull Moose Jackson, singer/pianist Amos Milburn, rockabilly singer Jack Scott, Robert Gordon, The New York Dolls, guitar genius Danny Gatton, Doug Salm, NRBQ, Arthur Big Boy Crudup (wrote first & many more of Elvis's songs), Waylon Jennings, Rick Nelson, The Blasters, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers, Jazz trumpeter Buck Clayton, Arlen Roth, Delta Blues singer Sleepy John Estes, Blues singer Johnny Shines, Emmy Lou Harris, Tracy Nelson & Mother Earth, The Byrds, The Lovin Spoonful, instrumental 60's surf group The Ventures, Canned Heat, Graham Parson & the Flying Burrito Bros., The James Gang, The Guess Who, Arrowsmith, The Starland Vocal Band, and Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, just to name a few.

While many of our dancers know Daryl Davis the musician...Did you know he's also an author, actor, and the first person that Chuck Berry calls when he's playing in town? I've seen Daryl at the Arena Stage and was caught by surprise when I saw him on HBO's "The Wire."