December 31, 1959

Sonny Burgess’s “Sadie’s Back in Town,” was released by Sun Records. The song could be considered the last rockabilly hit of the era. The popular music industry was shifting to a softer format and more banal subject matter than rockabilly’s fast cars and rebellious partying. Arkansas rockabilly artists either modified their styles or retired from the music business. A rockabilly revival in the 1970s brought renewed attention to the genre, while European audiences have maintained a nearly cult-like devotion to the original sound. Younger Arkansans, such as Jason D. Williams of El Dorado (Union County), continue to perform in a traditional rockabilly mode.