Shibley, Jesse Lee “Arkie”
Jesse Lee “Arkie” Shibley was a country singer best known for recording the original version of “Hot Rod Race” in 1950. The song is included in the book What Was the First Rock ‘n’ Roll Record? as one of fifty recordings that were influential in the origination of rock and roll. According to authors Jim Dawson and Steve Propes, its importance lies in the fact that “it introduced automobile racing into popular music and underscored the car’s relevance to American culture, particularly youth culture.” Jesse Lee Shibley was born on September 21, 1915, in Van Buren (Crawford County) to David M. and Prudie Shibley, both farmers. Sources have varied on the year of his birth, being either 1914 or 1915. …
