Remembering Billy Lee Riley

"My gal is red hot, your gal ain't doodly squat!"
I was saddened to hear of the recent death, at age 75, of BILLY LEE RILEY.
The Arkansas native produced one of the catchiest songs of the early rock era, "RED HOT," released by Sun Records on Sept. 30, 1957.
SAM PHILLIPS reportedly stalled the progress of the would-be smash by switching his promotional efforts to "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis.
Despite releasing another classic song -- the preceding "Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll" -- Riley's career lapsed into the relative obscurity of session work and early musical retirement until his work was "rediscovered" by a host of rock revivalists in the 1970s and 1980s.
Riley received some belated recognition in the 1990s, even releasing some critically acclaimed albums.
I have loved "Red Hot" since hearing it many years ago. Who knows? If promotional efforts had gone in a different direction, everyone might have been singing its praises.