Bill Haley, musician
July 6, 1925-February 9, 1981
Shake, Rattle & Roll: The Founders of Rock & Roll by Holly George-Warren, illustrated by Laura Levine (Houghton Mifflin, 2001)
Bill Haley and the Comets started singing C&W music but switched to rock and roll. Their song Rock Around the Clock was a huge hit and some say started the rock ‘n’ roll craze.
RockHall.com posts a bio of 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Haley.
