Originally posted by Damn Brit I wonder if this conversation would be happening if the industry that has been built around his memory and is making a fortune from making sure that he isn't forgotten didn't exist.
you forget that the "industry" as you put it tried to keep he and several of the other "Rock-a-Billy" guys down and ran them out of Nashville. Buddy Holly, J. Cash, Perkins, Orbison, Lewis etc. All but Holly were recorded by Sam Philips or the public may never have heard any of them.
Many of the rock-a-billy and blues guys had to buck the system to make it. That's why they are still around. Rock and roll has its roots into guys like Lead Belly, W.C. Handy, Hank Williams, Roger Wills, and Woody Guthrie as well. That's not a complete list of course.