24 Years Ago, We Lost the Songwriter Who Shaped Early Rock & Roll With Hits Recorded by Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis

May 6, 2026 11:55 am

On this day (May 6) in 2002, Otis Blackwell died in Nashville, Tennessee, of a heart attack at the age of 71. He may not be a household name, but his songs shaped early rock and roll and remain almost universally recognized decades later. Blackwell wrote classics like “All Shook Up” and “Don’t Be Cruel,” which became major hits for Elvis Presley. He also penned “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless,” which became hits for Jerry Lee Lewis.

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Blackwell grew up in New York City, where he learned to play the piano. During his formative years, he listened to R&B on the radio and to country music in the singing-cowboy films of Gene Autry and Tex Ritter. Those styles would later combine to become the emerging genre of rock and roll. Blackwell was among the songwriters who helped define the new style in its infancy.

According to Spectropop, Blackwell won a talent contest at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, which landed him a recording contract with Jay-Dee Records. His first single, “Daddy Rolling Stone,” failed to chart. However, Derek Martin made it a hit in Jamaica. Jay-Dee head Joe Davis convinced Blackwell to start writing songs.

His first success as a songwriter came in 1956 when Little Willie John took “Fever” to the top of the R&B chart. His rendition also reached the top 40 of the Hot 100. Two years later, Peggy Lee covered the song, and it became an international hit and received two Grammy nominations.

Otis Blackwell’s Connection to Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley recorded several of Otis Blackwell’s songs over the years. However, the pair never met. Instead, Blackwell chose to keep his distance. They had a good thing going, and he didn’t want to jinx it.

Presley was introduced to the prolific writer’s work in 1956 when Steve Sholes played him the demo for “Don’t Be Cruel.” He instantly fell in love with the song and knew he had to cut it before he listened to the whole track. Listeners felt the same way. It was a massive hit, topping the country, pop, and R&B charts. It reigned over the Hot 100 for 11 weeks and was one of the best-selling songs of the year.

Presley recorded several of Blackwell’s songs over the years, including “Return to Sender” and “All Shook Up.” Their association may go deeper than that, though. Presley learned the songs from demo tapes and tried to stay close to the original. As a result, he may have borrowed some of his vocal mannerisms from Blackwell.

Blackwell’s Echoing Influence

Otis Blackwell wrote many songs that became hits for early rockers. For instance, Jerry Lee Lewis found success with “Great Balls of Fire,” “Let’s Talk About Us,” and “Breathless.” Dee Clark had hits with “Just Keep It Up” and “Hey Little Girl.” Jimmy Jones made “Handy Man” a hit in 1960. A decade later, James Taylor breathed new life into the classic.

While Blackwell’s style fell out of favor after the 1960s, many artists continued to interpret his work. Those who cut his songs after the era of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis include Tanya Tucker, Billy Joel, Neil Diamond, Otis Redding, and Ray Charles.

In short, Otis Blackwell’s work was foundational to the evolution of rock and roll and modern pop music in general. The world wouldn’t sound as good without his contributions.

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