Thursday 11 May 2023

Joyce Green

Joyce Olivia Green (born March 2, 1940) is an American rockabilly musician. She is best known for her song Black Cadillac.

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Joyce learned to play guitar from her brother, Glenn, at age nine. The Green siblings frequently performed together in church. Joyce participated in various talent competitions, which she often won. She made her radio debut in 1957 with fellow musician Jimmy Douglas. She continued to perform with Douglas on the radio and at local Arkansas establishments. She was hired by Leon Gambill to perform regularly at Oasis Club in Bald Knob, Arkansas and soon began touring locally.

 

 

 

 


 




In 1959, Joyce wrote the song Black Cadillac with her sister Doris. She played the song for Arlen Vaden who arranged a recording session for her at KLCN in Blytheville, Arkansas. Joyce sang and played rhythm guitar on the record which included the song Tomorrow on the A-side and Black Cadillac on the B-side. The other musicians on the record included Tommy Holder on guitar, Teddy Redell on piano, Scotty Kuykendall on bass and Harvey Farley on drums. The record was released on Vaden Records in March 1959. Joyce embarked on a promotional tour with Larry Donn and Carl Perkins to support the record. The record was never commercially successful and Joyce did not record again until the 1970s. These later recordings were lost in a fire.









Joyce's record later became highly sought after by Rockabilly collectors. In 2006, Rhino Records released Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk & Rockabilly, a four-disc box set that included Black Cadillac.