A truck driving record collector explains why rock and roll music has such a hold over him.
Collecting rock and roll records is an all consuming hobby for truck driver Gerald Fitzgerald and he admits his wife and family are very understanding about his passion.
It is not just the music, but also the record sleeves that transport Gerald back to a bygone era.
I suppose it’s hanging onto my youth because I associate this music with very carefree times in the 50s when we had very little money, just a record player.
Gerald is a fan of all kinds of music but particularly big band music from the 1940s and 1950s rock and roll. While he likes Elvis Presley, he feels the music suffered once Elvis was discharged from the army in 1958.
Give me the early Elvis any time, especially on the Sun label, the pure rockabilly.
Gerald has 100 original Elvis Presley albums and original 45s and 78s on the HMV label, however he refuses to pay outrageous prices for these records.
His all-time favourite artist is Jerry Lee Lewis.
For me Jerry Lee Lewis is the king of rock and roll and always will be.
Jerry Lee’s rock and roll lifestyle recently caught up on him and Gerald is relived to report the artist also known as ‘The Killer’ and ‘The Memphis Mauler’ survived.
The day that he dies, the music dies.
Gerald enjoys reading biographies about his musical heroes although many of them, such as Larry Williams, Richie Valens, Buddy Holly and Sam Cook, died in tragic circumstances.
Great artists, they’ll never be replaced; you’ll never hear the likes of this music again, never.
An ‘Ireland’s Eye’ report broadcast on 3 November 1982. The reporter is Pat Butler.
