# Interesting and notable rock-&-roll accomplishments by teenagers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166 "2005-10-27T16:06:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/41 "2005-10-28T11:45:05Z")
**Paul Weller** of **The Jam** was 18 when they were signed to Polydor; _In The City_ and _This Is The Modern World_ came out when he was 19. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/42 "2005-10-28T12:19:35Z")
**John Carter of Mars** wrote: > [@](#): > > You can start at the very beginning of it, with Elvis, Richie Valens, Etta James, on and on. Unless you wanna say Elvis ain’t Rock ‘n’ Roll, in which case we have nothing further to discuss. Well, if you’re going to suggest that Rock ‘n’ Roll begins with Elvis, we need to have ‘the talk.’ ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/43 "2005-10-28T13:08:24Z")
Good call on **Modest Mouse** , _This is a long Drive for…_ came out when Brock was 17 and they had been together for 2-3 years at that point. Most of **Gomez** was still in their late teens when they recorded Bring it On, which now that I’ve typed it out reminds me that I need to listen to it today. They’ve since left me a little flat with some of their stuff, but this album kills. All of **Eisely** was in their teens and I think the youngest was 13 or 14 when they broke a couple years ago. They are not the best thing ever but considering where they are and their ages I think they show potential. ---
**Author:** ![Caissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Caissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caissa)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/44 "2005-10-28T14:09:42Z")
**Randy California** , the best guitarist you probably have never heard of, played with **Jimmy James & The Blue Flames** five sets a night, for three months, in Greenwich Village at the age of 15. Jimmy James was later known as Jimi Hendrix! Jimi invited Randy to come with him to England to start his solo career, but his parents wouldn’t let him! Randy California later formed **Spirit** , a killer band, and had some good solo records, as well. He died in '97 in Hawaii in a rip current, after pushing his son to safety. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/45 "2005-10-28T15:08:36Z")
> [@Johnny Angel](#): > > Well, if you’re going to suggest that Rock ‘n’ Roll begins with Elvis, we need to have ‘the talk.’ No, but I don’t know how old Billy Ward was when he made _Sixty Minute Man_. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/46 "2005-10-28T15:21:50Z")
I believe Bright Eyes (aka Connor Oberst) wrote and recorded a few albums while still in high school, and he’s only in his early 20s now. Someone may come along who knows better, but I was surprised by how good a songwriter and musician he was for such a young guy. ---
**Author:** ![parthenokinesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@parthenokinesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parthenokinesis)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166/47 "2005-10-28T15:56:32Z")
I recently heard a radio interview with Charlie Sexton. When he was twelve he used to sneak into bars to watch his friend Stevie Ray Vaughn play. Stevie would invite him up on stage to play and then leave, letting little Charlie front Double Trouble. He joined Joe Ely’s band at 13, and recorded with Keith Richards and Ron Wood at 15. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-and-notable-rock-roll-accomplishments-by-teenagers/328166.md?page=2)