Legendary rock’n’roll guitarist Scotty Moore has died at the age of 84.
Moore, who was a member of Elvis Presley’s original backing band, died in Nashville on Tuesday after months of ill health. A hugely influential figure in rock’n’roll, Scotty played on dozens of Presley classics including Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog and Heartbreak Hotel.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee was born in Gadsden, Tennessee, and began playing guitar at the age of eight. After serving in the US Navy in the early-1950s, Scotty formed the Starlite Wrangers with bass player Bill Black.
Rock’n’roll history was then made when Sun Records boss Sam Phillips asked Moore to work with a teenage Elvis Presley. As Presley began to make waves across the world, Moore, Black and drummer DJ Fontana formed the Blue Moon Boys, going on to back the star on numerous classic tracks over the next decade.
As well as his collaborations with Elvis, Moore also worked with a wide variety of rock royalty including Ringo Starr, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Carl Perkins, Jeff Beck and The Band’s Levon Helm.
