Formed:

1953 (Memphis, TN)

Styles:

Rock and Roll, Rockabilly

Claims to fame:

• Arguably the world's first rock n' roll band
• Paul Burlison was the first rock guitarist to make his guitar sound "heavier" with distortion
• Their song "Train Kept A-Rollin'" was incredibly influential for a whole generation of musicians, including Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin 

Principal Members:

Johnny Burnette (born March 25, 1934, Memphis, TN; died August 14, 1964, Clear Lake, CA): lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Dorsey Burnette (born December 28, 1932, Memphis, TN; died August 19, 1979, Canoga Park, CA): standup bass
Paul Burlison (born February 4, 1929, Brownsville, TN; died September 27, 2003, Horn Lake, TN): lead and rhythm guitar

Early years:

The Rock 'N' Roll Trio -- at times known as Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'N' Roll Trio, or just the Johnny Burnette Trio -- grew up on the Memphis rockabilly scene of the early to mid-Fifties; not only were all three failed local boxers, they all eventually got jobs at the same Crown Electrical Company where an unknown Elvis Presley was still driving a truck. Though they'd formed a trio before Presley ever walked into Sun Records, they were mostly playing it straight as a country act, but once Elvis was discovered they switched easily into the bluesier, more raw "rockabilly" sound. Brothers Dorsey and Johnny had been making music together since they were young children, while Burlson was a good enough guitarist to have sat in with the legendary Howlin' Wolf before Jim Crow attitudes forced an end to that partnership. 

Success:

When Burlison and Dorsey were laid off from Crown Electric, the trio decided to relocate to New York, get jobs there, and use their spare time auditioning for Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour, a longtime radio talent search fixture that had performed so well on TV that it had been broadcast, at one time or another, on all of the medium's original four networks.

The trio easily won the contest, not once but three times, and were soon inundated with recording contract offers; they decided to record in New York with Coral Records, where, utilizing a studio drummer and boosting the distortion on Paul's guitar as per their producer's suggestion, they cut a wild original called "Tear It Up," which they immediately began promoting. A killer cover of Tiny Bradshaw's R&B hit "The Train Kept A-Rollin'," recorded in Nashville this time, was the followup.

Later years:

Unfortunately, none of their singles made more than a regional impact, and by 1957, Dorsey was beginning to resent brother Johnny's increasing role as the leader of the group. Dorsey soon quit, to be replaced by Elvis' own Sun sessions bassist, Bill Black, but while the trio (now actually a quartet with a full-time drummer) soldiered on, national success was not forthcoming. Ironically, both of the Burnette brothers had those elusive hits after going solo and reconciling in Los Angeles -- Johnny with the poppy "You're Sixteen" and "Dreamin'," Dorsey with "(There Was A) Tall Oak Tree." Both brothers later became songwriters for Ricky Nelson (among others), penning Ricky's hits "Believe What You Say," "Waitin' in School," and "It's Late." Johnny drowned in a tragic boating accident in 1964; Dorsey spent the rest of the decade as a semi-successful country artist and songwriter. Burlison, who returned to music briefly in the '80s, was the last of the trio to pass on, succumbing to cancer in 2003.

The Rock 'N' Roll Trio facts and trivia:

• Auditioned for Sun and Sam Phillips after Elvis began having success but were rejected
• Toured with Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent
• Dorsey's son Billy had a somewhat successful solo career in the 70s and later joined Fleetwood Mac after the departure of Lindsay Buckingham; Johnny's son Rocky had a big hit of his own in 1980 with "Tired of Toein' the Line"
• Burlison claimed to have been taught guitar by an old black man in his neighborhood, whose name he never learned; he turned his acoustic into an electric guitar by taping telephone parts to it
• The Yardbirds famously covered "Train Kept A-Rollin" as "Stroll On," while the original was the very first song attempted in practice by Led Zeppelin; it later served as the basis for Robert Plant's hit "Tall Cool One"

The Rock 'N' Roll Trio Awards and Honors:

• Rockabilly Hall of Fame (1999)

Notable Rock 'N' Roll Trio recordings: "The Train Kept A-Rollin'," "Tear It Up," "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes," :You're Undecided," "Touch Me," "Rock Billy Boogie," "Please Don't Leave Me," "Rock Therapy," "Lonesome Train (On a Lonesome Track)," "Sweet Love on My Mind," "My Love, You're a Stranger," "Your Baby Blue Eyes," "I Love You So," "All by Myself," "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee," "Blues Stay Away from Me," "Honey Hush," "I Just Found Out," "Chains of Love," "If You Want It Enough," "Butterfingers," "Eager Beaver Baby," "Oh Baby Babe," "Midnight Train," "Shattered Dreams"

Movie and TV appearances (movies in italics): Rock Rock Rock! (1956)

Covered by: Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Motorhead, The Yardbirds, Jeff Beck, The Stray Cats, The Cramps, The Nazz, Alex Chilton, The Rogues, Sugarloaf, Hanoi Rocks, The Meteors, Johnny and the Scorchers