Gus Backus

Gus Backus occupies a rarefied place in the history of rock & roll. Having said that, it probably comes as a surprise to almost any reader that Backus occupies any place whatsoever in rock & roll. His chart presence in America was minimal, and not one in 100 Americans would even know who he was. In Germany during the late '50s and early '60s, however -- a period when even second-rate English rock & roll bands could earn a decent living -- Backus was virtually the flesh-and-blood embodiment of American rock & roll. Along with skiffle star Johnny Duncan, Backus is one of those o...