A vitally important figure at the nexus of blues and rockabilly, Billy "The Kid" Emerson was a pianist, vocalist, and songwriter who cut dozens of excellent R&B sides in the 1950s, but his songs would be best-known by the performers who sang them. Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Billy Lee Riley, Wynonie Harris, and Buddy Guy were among the musicians who covered his tunes, and his rollicking melodies, boogie woogie-inspired piano work, and clever, playfully witty wordplay inspired plenty of other musicians and tunesmiths. His '50s sides for Sun, Vee-Jay, and Chess Records didn't cross over to the pop charts, but he would be rated highly by collectors and blues fans in the years to follow. Later in life he became a respected gospel artist.