Billy Gussak
William Gussak (1920 – 1994) was an American jazz and recording session drummer, best known for being the drummer on the classic 12 April 1954 recording of "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets. Some sources incorrectly spell his name as Guesak. |
Birth and Death Data: Born 1920, Died 1994
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1955
Roles Represented in DAHR: traps, drums
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-037652 | 10-in. | 6/16/1939 | Guess I'll go back home (This summer) | Three Reasons ; Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-038235 | 10-in. | 7/7/1939 | Time on my hands | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-038236 | 10-in. | 7/7/1939 | Manhattan | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-038237 | 10-in. | 7/7/1939 | Drifting down the river of dreams | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-038238 | 10-in. | 7/7/1939 | Old mill wheel | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-041579 | 10-in. | 8/17/1939 | Blue orchids | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-041580 | 10-in. | 8/17/1939 | One morning in May | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-041581 | 10-in. | 8/17/1939 | Lazy river | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-041582 | 10-in. | 8/17/1939 | Its a hundred to one (I'm in love) | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042638 | 10-in. | 9/5/1939 | (Everybody's happy for) Myrtle | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042639 | 10-in. | 9/5/1939 | It's funny to everyone but me | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042640 | 10-in. | 9/5/1939 | The beautiful buxom barmaid | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042641 | 10-in. | 9/5/1939 | The starlit hour | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042776 | 10-in. | 10/3/1939 | Who told you I cared | Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042777 | 10-in. | 10/3/1939 | I like to recognize the tune | Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042778 | 10-in. | 10/3/1939 | I thought about you | Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042779 | 10-in. | 10/3/1939 | (Why couldn't it last) Last night | Dinah Shore | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042944 | 10-in. | 10/12/1939 | Ciri-biri-bin | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042945 | 10-in. | 10/12/1939 | Vol vistu gaily star | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042946 | 10-in. | 10/12/1939 | Goody goodbye | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-042947 | 10-in. | 10/12/1939 | No mama no | Smoothies | Mixed vocal trio, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-043307 | 10-in. | 10/24/1939 | It's the talk of the town | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-043308 | 10-in. | 10/24/1939 | I can't get started | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-043309 | 10-in. | 10/24/1939 | It's a hap-hap-happy day | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-043310 | 10-in. | 10/24/1939 | The creaking old mill on the creek | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046060 | 10-in. | 1/3/1940 | Friendship | Smoothies | Mixed vocal group, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046061 | 10-in. | 1/3/1940 | Say 'si, si' (Para vigo me voy) | Smoothies | Mixed vocal group, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046062 | 10-in. | 1/3/1940 | Pretty baby | Smoothies | Mixed vocal group, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046063 | 10-in. | 1/3/1940 | Easy does it | Smoothies | Mixed vocal group, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046717 | 10-in. | 1/25/1940 | After I say I'm sorry (what can I say) | Shirley Howard | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046718 | 10-in. | 1/25/1940 | The Japanese sandman | Shirley Howard | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046719 | 10-in. | 1/25/1940 | Sleepy head | Shirley Howard | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-046720 | 10-in. | 1/25/1940 | The sky fell down | Shirley Howard | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-048470 | 10-in. | 3/28/1940 | Just a-whistlin' and a-whittlin' (and a-watchin' the world go by) | Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-048471 | 10-in. | 3/28/1940 | Imagination | Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-048472 | 10-in. | 3/28/1940 | Say it | Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-048473 | 10-in. | 3/28/1940 | Shake down the stars | Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, traps | |
| Victor | BS-060665 | 10-in. | 2/19/1941 | The hat my father wore (upon St. Patrick's Day) | Harry's Tavern Band ; Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-060666 | 10-in. | 2/19/1941 | That's how you can tell they're Irish | Harry's Tavern Band ; Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-060667 | 10-in. | 2/19/1941 | When I see the loving they waste on babies (I long for the cradle again) | Harry's Tavern Band ; Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-060668 | 10-in. | 2/19/1941 | He took her for a sleigh ride (in the good old summertime) | Harry's Tavern Band ; Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-063781 | 10-in. | 4/17/1941 | I wonder what's become of Sally? | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-063782 | 10-in. | 4/17/1941 | Say it isn't so | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-063783 | 10-in. | 4/17/1941 | Together | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | BS-063784 | 10-in. | 4/17/1941 | Maria Elena | Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | D6VB-1666 | 10-in. | 2/20/1946 | I'm a-goin', Sue, I'm a-goin' | Zeke Manners Band | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Victor | D6VB-2936 | 10-in. | 9/26/1946 | Inflation | Zeke Manners Band | Male vocal solo, with vocal ensemble and jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, drums | |
| Decca | 61423 | 10-in. | 11/23/1936 | There's a silver moon on the Golden Gate | Will Osborne and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
| Decca | 61424 | 10-in. | 11/23/1936 | It's de-lovely | Will Osborne and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
| Decca | 61425 | 10-in. | 11/23/1936 | I stumbled over love | Will Osborne and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
| Decca | 61426 | 10-in. | 11/23/1936 | Tea on the terrace | Will Osborne and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
| Decca | 61427 | 10-in. | 11/23/1936 | That foolish feeling | Will Osborne and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
| Decca | 61428 | 10-in. | 11/23/1936 | Where are you? | Will Osborne and his Orchestra | instrumentalist, drums | ||
| Decca | 86163 | 4/12/1954 | (We're gonna) Rock around the clock | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 86164 | 4/12/1954 | Thirteen women (and only one man in town) | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 86809 | 9/21/1954 | Happy baby | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 86810 | 9/21/1954 | Dim, dim the lights (I want some atmosphere)-1 | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 87325 | 1/5/1955 | Birth of the boogie-1 | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 87326 | 1/5/1955 | Mambo rock | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 87921 | 5/10/1955 | Two hound dogs | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums | |||
| Decca | 87922 | 5/10/1955 | Razzle dazzle | Comets ; Bill Haley | instrumentalist, drums |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gussak, Billy," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114901.
Gussak, Billy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/114901.
"Gussak, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gussak, Billy, -1994 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009073425
Wikidata: Billy Gussak - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4912652
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/88500719
MusicBrainz: Billy Gussak - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/846a18aa-ae8f-4d5a-a9c3-dde7b985abde
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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