LP/CD release party makes earliest Carl Perkins recordings available to the public for the first time​

Eastview, Tennessee--Discovering Carl Perkins, a new LP/CD release by Bear Family Records, is the culmination of 10 years of work by Arts in McNairy’s traditional arts committee to recover the recordings of Stanton Littlejohn of Eastview, Tenn. and educate the public about their significance.

Between 1947 and 1957, Littlejohn amassed an incredible collection of original recordings from his Eastview home. The professionally preserved archive, which has been recognized by the Library of Congress as a national cultural treasure, includes recordings of many regional music legends, including a 19-year-old Carl Perkins. Discovering Carl Perkins marks the first public release of what are believed to be the rockabilly icon’s earliest recordings.

To celebrate this historic occasion, there will be a release party by Arts in McNairy. Shawn Pitts, Arts in McNairy board member and co-producer of Discovering Carl Perkins, will make a short presentation on the history of the Littlejohn recordings. Local favorites, Dawg Creek Band, will be on hand to play live rockabilly music and light refreshments will be provided by the City of Eastview and the Eastview Ruritan Club. A limited number of LP/CD sets will be available for purchase at the event.

The story of Littlejohn’s recording sessions will also be prominently featured on a Tennessee Music Pathways marker being installed in downtown Selmer later this year. McNairy County Tourism and Arts in McNairy collaborated with Tennessee Department of Tourism Development on the Tennessee Music Pathways project which is expected to generate considerable interest among roots music fans and cultural tourists.

“We are excited to share this music and this story with the public,” Pitts said. “We are also eager to see the new marker at Rockabilly Park. Together, these projects bolster McNairy County’s reputation as a hotbed of early rockabilly development and firmly establish Eastview as a site of historic significance.”

The public is invited to the release party on November 14 at 6:00 p.m. at the Eastview Civic Center. More details will be released for a dedication in Selmer for the Tennessee Music Pathways marker. For more information about the Perkins/Littlejohn recordings and release party contact Arts in McNairy’s Managing Director, Sarah Moore, at (731) 645-2671 or [email protected]

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