Joey Welz

Renowned early on as a pioneering rockabilly pianist and for a stint with Bill Haley & His Comets, Joey Welz has released numerous solo albums independently across decades while serving as president of the independent labels Caprice Records and Canadian American Records; he has also worked as a singer/songwriter, producer, and engineer. Born in Baltimore, MA, in 1940, Welz discovered music through R&B and country and took up piano at age ten, teaching himself entirely by ear. During the 1950s he formed a friendship with the rock & roll legends Bill Haley & His Comets, assisting the group on visits to his hometown, and his own band, the Jay Rockers, opened multiple concerts for Haley. Welz scored his biggest success in 1957 with the group the Rock-A-Billies on the single “Boppin’ the Stroll Again,” after which he entered U.S. military service. Once discharged, he received an invitation to become a member of Haley & His Comets. His first solo albums appeared in the early 1970s, among them Vintage Ballads to Remember Her By and Rock Revival, though consistent releases did not begin until the 1990s with titles such as Back to a Better Time, Bring Back the Music, and Still Like to Boogie With a Texas Swing.