James E. Myers

Who was James E. Myers?

James E. Myers was an American songwriter, actor, producer, and raconteur.

Myers is best known as the credited co-writer of "Rock Around the Clock" for which he used the pseudonym "Jimmy DeKnight". Myers co-wrote the song with Max C. Freedman, though doubt has been cast as to whether Myers actually participated in the writing of the song.

"Rock Around the Clock" was published in early 1953. Although Bill Haley & His Comets were supposed to be the first to record it, a dispute between Myers and Dave Miller, Haley's producer for Essex Records prevented Haley from doing so. The first recording of the song was made by an Italian-American band, Sonny Dae & His Knights; Haley finally recorded it in 1954 for Decca Records and in 1955, the song became the first No. 1 record of the Rock and Roll era.

Myers' songwriting career dated back to the 1940s, and his DeKnight moniker appears on several country and western recordings made by Haley in the 1949-51 era. Myers formed Myers Music to publish songs, and oversaw many of his own compositions as well as a number of Haley originals such as "Rock-a-Beatin' Boogie". It is also believed that Myers played drums on an early recording by Haley's pre-Comets group, the Saddlemen, though this has yet to be definitively confirmed. A later claim by Myers that he played drums on "Rock Around the Clock" has been debunked by the existence of an official recording session document indicating the drummer was Billy Gussak.