Go Cat Go!: The Life and Times of Carl Perkins

I'll admit it -- I'm biased toward Carl Perkins. I lived several years in his hometown of Jackson, TN and met him many times. Having those experiences, I was curious how this book would portray Mr. Perkins. After reading this book, I have more respect for Mr. Perkins. True, he wasn't perfect (who is?), but he had reason to be bitter about his career and his life, instead he never gave up. He pulled himself up after each setback and kept on striving. When you think about it, what would be the alternative? He was not only a great musician, but an active humanitarian. His work with children and their causes is nearly as impressive as his musical career, yet most people don't know of this. I went to Carl Perkins' funeral, and in the little city of Jackson, TN you would have thought time stood still. This book will give you the feeling of getting to know a true American success story . . .

What a story!! This should be a must read for all of us who get to feeling sorry for ourslves. Carl Perkins came from abject poverty,a racially discriminating South,was known as "white trash",wrote one of rock n rolls seminal tunes,was on the brink of superstardom,lost it all,became a sideman to another Sun records stablemate,delved into the pit of addiction,rose again,had alot of his early work recorded by a group known as the Beatles,played with the likes of Eric Clapton,loved performing with his own family,lived his life humbly,nursed somewhat of a grudge against Sam Phillips,Jerry Lee Lewis,and Elvis,made peace with himself,and left behind the legacy of a man who had seen the beast within and had conquered it. This is a must read for anyone who has any interest in music,or for that matter,the sociology of the South during the late 1940's and 1950's. It is also ,quite simply,one of the most inspiring books that I've ever read,Thank You, Carl Perkins!

Much has been made of the tragic events in Carl Perkins' life, but in the end his values and personal strength stood him in much better stead than most of his Sun contemporaries (see Escott and Hawkin's book on Sun Records). Pretty good for a kid who, with his brothers, were so poor that they were skinny from undernourishment as children. This book follows Carl from childhood until near the end (he passed away shortly after publication). The section on the Tennessee tonk scene in the 40's and 50's and "tush hogs" is especially colorful.

The goal of any good biography should be to give the reader a sense that he/she knows the subject. After reading Go Cat Go, I felt like I knew Carl Perkins', good and bad. In addition, I got a real sense of his music and how intertwined the music and the man were. I also got a good sense of Memphis and West Tennessee in the 1950's and what it was like to make it in the fledgling rock and roll industry. An additional bonus is that many of CP's songs are printed with stories behind the lyrics. For any songwriter, reading the lyrics is truly inspiring. Nice work!

I long wondered at Carl Perkins. though fatefully cheated of his great chance at rock-n-roll glory, troubled by alchoholism, his public personae was one of goodhearted humility and relentles hopefulness. I expected this book to be a glimpse behind the curtian, revealing a haunted bitter man. I'm wrong again. David McGee spells out all the reasons we ought to feel sorry for the fella, but he also lets Carl tell, in his own words, how he made his way through to an honorable, blessed life. Full of detail on the (post SUN)song-writing and recording highlights that prove Carl's credentials as a great american artist and observer, no mere one hit wonder.