Does anyone know any details or is there any information out there on Clayton Perkins, Carl's Brother?

He and brother Carl were hired together when they arrived at Sun Records around 1956. Just after Carl wrote Blue Suede Shoes, he and Clayton were in an auto accident. Carl was seriously injured, but Clayton died. Supposedly Elvis was pressured by RCA to record Blue Suede Shoes, but Elvis wouldn't do it (well, not until much later) as Carl tells it. Carl and Elvis were close friends and respected each other.

I have a CD of the Million Dollar Quartet recording, and he was there! In one of the tracks you can hear someone talking to Clayton!

Actually, Carl & both his brothers Jay and Clayton started performing as "The Perkins Brothers"......signed with Sun Records and were joined by drummer W.S. Holland in 1953 (I believe)

When Carl's "Blue Suede Shoes" hit it big....the band was driving up to New York to be on the Perry Como & Ed Sullivan shows when the driver Dave Stewart fell asleep and rear ended a truck & the accident killed Dave Stewart not Clayton, Jay's neck was broken which he never fully recovered from.....Carl suffered a fractured skull and a broken arm.
I'm not sure if W.S. and Clayton were in the car or not.....if they were, they're injuries if any, were minor.
In 1958 Jay Perkins passed away due to the injuries sustained in that car accident & in 1974 the reason you dont see Carl in the filming of the episode of "Colombo" that JRC starred in..... is because Carl had to fly back home due to Clayton unexpectedly passed away and W.S. went with him......

Hope this was somewhat of a help??

quote:

Originally posted by Busted:
I have a CD of the Million Dollar Quartet recording, and he was there! In one of the tracks you can hear someone talking to Clayton!

Forgot to add that in the famous picture of "The Million Dollar Quartet".......just out of the cameras range stood drummer W.S. Holland &......... Elvis's girlfriend at the time (cant remember her name now)...."Cowboy" Jack Clement.......& others.....probably one of them.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Abe Cross,

quote:

Forgot to add that in the famous picture of "The Million Dollar Quartet".......just out of the cameras range stood W.S. Holland, Elvis's girlfriend at the time (cant remember her name now)...."Cowboy" Jack Clement & others.....probably one of them.

I think you should've rewritten that last line a little differently, Abe. To someone unfamiliar with who's who in music, it might read as W.S. Holland, Evlis' girlfriend at the time....

I believe that Clayton Perkins unfortunitly killed himslef in 1974 while the troupe was enrout the California to shhot Columbo. WS offered to travel back with Carl and Carl's part in the script was written out. That's why the drummer is not WS.

So where did I read that Jay died from brain cancer in 1958?

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Originally posted by pro_magnum:
So where did I read that Jay died from brain cancer in 1958?

That is correct......combined with the accident injuries (broken neck) that he never fully recovered from also.

quote:

Originally posted by Abe Cross:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Busted:



Elvis's girlfriend at the time (cant remember her name now)....

Her name was Marylin Evans