According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, rockabilly — “a style of rock ‘n’ roll mixed with rowdy country music” — is making “an encore performance.” In less garbled terms, Gov. Mike Beebe signed legislation transforming the stretch of U.S. 67 from Newport to Pocahontas into “Rock ‘N’ Roll Highway 67.” The road, which sounds like it might have been named by a Japanese tourist was actually named by State Representative J.R. Rogers, and honors Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins,” and scores of other guitar-slinging greasers who played the Arkansas roadhouse circuit in the 1950’s.
Rogers told the Democrat-Gazette that he wanted to call 67 the “Rock ‘N’ Roll” highway instead of the “Rockabilly” highway because, “Arkansas people didn’t want to be put into a group with hillbillies.” Apparently he didn’t mind Arkansas people being put into a group of people who spell Rock and Roll with a big silly N’.
