Rudy Pompilli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rudy Pompilli
Pompilli in 1958
Background information
Birth name	Rudolph Clement Pompilii
Also known as	Rudy Pell, Rudi
Born	(1924-04-16)April 16, 1924 Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	February 5, 1976(1976-02-05) (aged 51) Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Rock and roll, jazz Rockabilly
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Saxophone, clarinet
Years active	1951-1976
Associated acts	Bill Haley & His Comets

Rudolph Clement Pompilii (born April 16, 1924 – died February 5, 1976) was an American musician. He was famous for playing the tenor saxophone with the band Bill Haley & His Comets. People usually knew him as Rudy Pompilli. Sometimes, he also used the name Rudy Pell.

Rudy Pompilli's Early Life and Music Career

Rudy Pompilli was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was very good at playing both the saxophone and the clarinet. At the start of his career, he played in jazz bands.

In 1953, he played with the Ralph Marterie Orchestra. This orchestra even had a hit song that was a different version of Bill Haley's "Crazy Man, Crazy".

Joining Bill Haley & His Comets

In September 1955, Rudy was asked to join Bill Haley & His Comets. This happened after the band's previous saxophone player left.

Bill Haley said that Rudy didn't really like rock and roll music at first. But Rudy still joined the band. He quickly learned Bill Haley's special way of playing the saxophone. He also learned the fun stage moves. These included playing the sax while lying on his back!

Bill Haley asked Rudy to change how his last name was spelled. He changed it from "Pompilii" to "Pompilli". Bill thought the original spelling looked like a mistake. Rudy also often used the name "Rudy Pell" when signing autographs.

Becoming a Star with The Comets

Soon after joining, Rudy Pompilli became one of the most important members of The Comets. He was almost as famous as Bill Haley himself.

Rudy helped write a famous instrumental song called "Rudy's Rock". An instrumental song is one that has no singing, only instruments. This song was first shown in the 1956 movie Rock Around the Clock. When "Rudy's Rock" was released as a single song, it became a hit. It was one of the first instrumental rock and roll songs to be very popular.

Another great instrumental song was "Calling All Comets". The band played this song in their next movie, Don't Knock the Rock, in 1957.

In 1958, Rudy's cousin, Al Pompilli, also played bass guitar with The Comets for about a year.

Rudy's Songwriting and Later Years

Rudy Pompilli helped write several other songs. He co-wrote the hit song "Week End" with other band members. This song reached number 35 on the music charts in 1958. He also helped write "Florida Twist," which became a very popular party song in Latin America. Many artists have covered this song.

Bill Haley's band changed members many times over the years. But Rudy Pompilli was always there. He even became the band's road manager. This meant he helped pay bills and find new musicians when needed. Rudy also played music by himself in clubs in Philadelphia.

Health Challenges and Final Days

After a tour in Europe in 1974, Rudy Pompilli found out he had lung cancer. He did not smoke himself. It is thought he got sick from being around other people who smoked.

Even though he was ill, Rudy kept touring with Bill Haley throughout 1975. He also recorded his only solo album that year. It was called Rudy's Rock: The Sax That Changed the World. He continued to perform in clubs until close to the end of his life.

Rudy Pompilli passed away from lung cancer on February 5, 1976. His death greatly affected Bill Haley. Bill Haley later retired from performing for a while. When he returned to touring, he would always play "Rudy's Rock" to remember Rudy.

Birth Year Discovery

For a long time, people thought Rudy Pompilli was born in 1926. However, later research found documents showing he was actually born in 1924. Like Bill Haley, Rudy had made himself seem two years younger.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 1957, Down Beat magazine named Rudy Pompilli the Sax Player of the Year.

In 2012, Rudy Pompilli was honored. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Comets. This was done to correct an earlier mistake, as the band had not been inducted with Bill Haley in 1987.

Songs Rudy Pompilli Wrote

Rudy Pompilli helped write many songs. Some of his well-known co-written songs include:

• "Week End"
• "Better Believe It"
• "Rudy's Rock"
• "Calling All Comets"
• "Hey Then, There Now"
• "Florida Twist"
• "Lean Jean"

He also wrote other songs like "China Twist," "Happy Twist," "Tacos del Twist," and "Twist del Dia" in 1962.