The Big Bopper real name is Jiles Perry Richardson Jr, and he was born in October 1930 and left us in February 1959.
He was an American singer and songwriter and he also loved being a disc jockey. He was so fond and talented in playing vocals and guitar.
His most successful songs are Chantilly Lace and White Lightning.
Unfortunately, Jiles was killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959, along with fellow musicians Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and the pilot Roger Peterson.
Chantilly Lace is one of his most well known songs, released in August 1958 as part of the album Chantilly Lace. The song has a length of 2:20 minutes and it is part of the Rockabilly genre, under the Mercury label.
The song was written by J.P. Richardson and was produced by Jerry Kennedy. It was published in Christgau’s Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies.
When released, the free Chantilly Lace piano music sheet reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent more than 23 weeks on the Top 40 and number four on the Cash Box chart.
Looking into the lyrics, Chantilly Lace is about a young man flirting with his girlfriend over the phone and telling her why he loves her so much, referring to:
Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a ponytail hangin' down
A wiggle in her walk and a giggle in her talk
Make the world go 'round
Their conversation is how the song begins, with the ring tone of the telephone, answered by the Big Bopper. The way he answers the phone, "Hello Baby" remains a motif that reappears in his following songs later.
The free Chantilly Lace piano sheets were an inspiration for Jayne Mansfield and many other artists. The song was covered by big names like Donna Dameron, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rolling Stones, The Ventures, or Van Halen.
Chantilly Lace was also used as the basis for the theme song for the Wish Kid cartoon show in 1991 and also had a Christmas cover version in 1995.
Looking into the instrumental composition, we can find instruments like piano, guitar, bass, saxophone, vocals, and drums.
You can find on our website our free piano sheets and use them if you want to try playing Chantilly Lace at your own piano at home.
Do not hesitate to come back and leave us your opinion, as it is very important to us.
