Biography
Though not a familiar figure even to rockabilly aficionados, Dick Penner secured a lasting niche in music history by co-authoring the enduring number “Ooby Dooby.” Born in Chicago, he arrived in Dallas, TX, at age one when his family relocated, and there he first encountered country music through radio broadcasts. At sixteen he began playing guitar; four years later he enrolled at North Texas State University in Denton, TX, where he formed a connection with Wade Moore and also met Roy Orbison, then leading the Wink Westerners—an outfit that would soon become the Teen Kings.
Working with Moore, Penner wrote “Ooby Dooby,” which Orbison and his band subsequently turned into one of Sun Records’ most successful rockabilly singles. Shifting their focus from country to rock & roll, the two men formed a duo and cut material for Sun in 1957, sometimes credited as Wade & Dick and at other times as the College Kids. Six tracks resulted from the Wade & Dick sessions, while Penner also recorded a handful of solo numbers, all marked by a sharp, youthful energy pitched squarely at the emerging teen audience yet none attaining notable commercial success. His three singles—“Move Baby Move,” “Fine Little Baby,” and “Someday Baby”—shared a recurring thematic thread and, on at least one, featured guitar contributions from Don Gilliland. None approached the standing of “Ooby Dooby,” however, which registered respectably on the national charts in Orbison’s version and has since been recognized as a genre classic. Moore went on to pursue further musical work with Orbison, whereas Penner turned toward academic life and reportedly became a professor of English.
Working with Moore, Penner wrote “Ooby Dooby,” which Orbison and his band subsequently turned into one of Sun Records’ most successful rockabilly singles. Shifting their focus from country to rock & roll, the two men formed a duo and cut material for Sun in 1957, sometimes credited as Wade & Dick and at other times as the College Kids. Six tracks resulted from the Wade & Dick sessions, while Penner also recorded a handful of solo numbers, all marked by a sharp, youthful energy pitched squarely at the emerging teen audience yet none attaining notable commercial success. His three singles—“Move Baby Move,” “Fine Little Baby,” and “Someday Baby”—shared a recurring thematic thread and, on at least one, featured guitar contributions from Don Gilliland. None approached the standing of “Ooby Dooby,” however, which registered respectably on the national charts in Orbison’s version and has since been recognized as a genre classic. Moore went on to pursue further musical work with Orbison, whereas Penner turned toward academic life and reportedly became a professor of English.
Albums
