Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I traveled with Elvis for about 1 1/2 years - wow, I was always in a trance - Elvis was a top cat.”

                                                                                                  -Rudy Tutti Grayzell

 

 

        

         Check out Rudy in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame!

       Check out Rudy on myspace.com

 

 

Rudy Grayzell was born in 1933 in Saspamco, TX, just outside of San Antonio. He grew up listening to the regional mix of Tex-Mex and country music, but had his sights set on being a baseball player. That is, until in his early teens, Rudy figured out that being a musician was a much quicker route to the women's hearts. His first C & W combo, the Silver Buckles, evolved into the Texas Kool Kats in the early '50s. The Kool Kats (which included an 11-year old Doug Sahm) were good enough to land a daily radio show out of San Antonio and regular gigs throughout the Southwest, all under the sponsorship of Pearl Beer. This quickly led to Rudy hooking up with Abbott Records out of Louisiana, where he cut 3 country-tinged 45s between 1953 and 1954. Tour dates expanded to include higher-profile shows in Nashville and eventually the Louisiana Hayride, where Rudy shared the bill with a soon-to-be-famous Elvis Presley.

 "The nickname Rudy "Tutti" was given to me by the King, El-vis, in Tulsa OK during a concert" says Rudy. "I traveled with Elvis for about 1 1/2 years - wow, I was always in a trance - Elvis was a top cat.”

 

As rockabilly began to "evolve", Rudy made the jump from Abbott to Capitol. Rudy says "I was more into the rockabilly thing, man. I needed to rock!" Three singles were released in 1955, including "Hearts of Stone" b/w "There's Gonna Be a Ball". Ironically, Otis Williams & the Charms released their stepped-up faster version of "Hearts of Stone" just a month after Rudy, and had a HUGE hit. "Baby, I lost a million bucks!" laments our hero.

 

In 1956, Rudy signed on with Starday Records, where he cut his most rockin' records like "Let's Get Wild", "You're Gone" and one of THE seminal rockabilly tracks, "Duck Tail" (written by Rudy), which became a regional Top 10 hit out of Houston. He then moved over to the famous Sun label who released "Judy" in 1957. Then it was on to Award Records and the 1958 single, "FBI Story", which ultimately ended up being Rudy's last rock & roll recording for over 30 years. Rudy crossed paths with Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens while touring through the late 1950s, but opted to relocate to Portland, OR in 1960. Rudy spent much of the last 30 years as an "entertainer", but never really lost his rockin' edge. "When you're young and you have a manager pushin' you in one direction, it's hard to resist baby. It was a mistake, I admit it. If I could do it again, I'd never have quit makin' the kinda music I like. Rock & Roll music!" reflects Mr. Grayzell.

 

With a renewed interest out of Europe in the 1980s in his rockabilly sides, Rudy contemplated a return to his roots. Full of energy and enthusiasm, and after some well-received European tours, Rudy cut a 4-song EP for Norton Records in 1991, backed by the A-Bones. He started gigging on a more regular basis, including opening some shows for Wanda Jackson and was ready to go all over again.

In Spring'98, Rudy approached Burnside Records about doing a full-length rock & roll record for their new roots imprint, Sideburn. By June, Rudy was in the Studio in Springfield, MO with the Skeletons, where they knocked out 14 tracks for "Lets Get Wild" in less than three days. The energy and spontaneity of the sessions comes through loud & clear, and Rudy is singing at the top of his game. "I have never felt as satisfied about my old hits as I am now. It's the real me - AMEN!" preaches Rudy.


Click on the album cover to listen to song samples and purchase a copy of this CD.