From
Queen to the Doors, many bands have attempted to keep going after the departure of the
Singer – with very mixed results
In the Guide’s weekly Solved! column, we look into a crucial pop-culture question you’ve been burning to know the answer to – and settle it, once and for all
From the moment Bill Haley and His Comets stepped out in the early 1950s, it was clear that the most important member of any band was their frontperson. Haley was the first ever rock star, his quirky spit curl and perky demeanour bringing both cheekiness and charm to the newly minted sound of
American rock’n’roll. His death in 1981 didn’t stop the band from continuing – but it probably should have. Since his passing, there have been at least seven different versions of the Comets in existence, all claiming to be the real deal.