Biography
Freddie Bell, born Ferdinando Dominico Bello on 29 September 1931 in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and who died on 11 February 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, fronted an early American rock ‘n’ roll sextet whose sound drew on big-band arrangements. The lineup also comprised Jack Kane on saxophone, Jerry Mayo on trumpet, Frankie Brent handling bass and guitar, Russ Conti at the piano, and Chick Keeney on drums. In 1955 the group cut a version of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog” for the Teen label. Elvis Presley caught their live rendition in April 1956 and cut his own recording that July. The Bellboys made another historic mark by appearing in Rock Around The Clock, the first rock ‘n’ roll film, released in 1956, and they became the first U.S. rock act to visit Britain when they supported Tommy Steele on tour that same year. Their signature release, “Giddy Up A Ding Dong,” surfaced in 1956 and reached number 4 on the UK chart, while additional singles included “The Hucklebuck,” “Teach You To Rock,” and “Rockin’ Is My Business.” In 1964 they returned to the screen in the exploitation feature Get Yourself A College Girl (issued in Britain as The Swinging Set), joined on vocals by Roberta Linn alongside the Animals, the Dave Clark Five, and the Standells. A handful of hits allowed Bell to maintain a performing career spanning nearly five decades; under the banner of the Freddie Bell Show he maintained a year-round residency in Las Vegas, filling the remaining weeks with engagements around the globe.
Live
