Carl Lee Perkins 1932-1998

Called the "Rockabilly King" and a "Rock 'n' Roll architect", singer-songwriter Carl Perkins was born in Lake County on April 9, 1932. In 1955, he wrote and recorded the celebrated rock 'n' roll classic, "Blue Suede Shoes." A powerful artist, he influenced numerous popular musicians including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Wynonna Judd and Garth Brooks. Perkins was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of fame in 1987. He was entombed in the mausoleum at Ridgecrest Cemetery after his death on Jan. 19, 1998. Reverse: A strong advocate for the prevention of child abuse, Carl Perkins worked with the Jackson Exchange Club to establish the first center for the prevention of child abuse in Tennessee and the fourth in the nation. Proceeds from a concert planned by Perkins were combined with a grant from the National Exchange Club to establish the Exchange Club/Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse in October 1981. For years its annual Circle of Hope Telethon generated one quarter of the center's annual operating budget.