Aired on Treasure Island Oldies – Sep 13, 2026

When it comes to being a trailblazer there is an American singer who holds a unique, historical place in Rock & Roll history as the only female artist to officially sign a formal contract with Sam Phillips for Sun Records.

She was able to get Sam Phillips’ attention thanks to her legendary friendship with Elvis Presley.

*****

The female singer’s connection to Elvis was deeply personal and predated their mutual fame. They grew up down the street from one another in North Memphis. “I sang with him, I knew him, I lived down the street from him when we were kids in North Memphis,” she later recalled. Their mothers were also close friends who frequently got together for social parties.

 

Her very first paying musical gig was actually singing alongside Elvis at a local Memphis venue called the Eagle’s Nest.

 

Throughout the mid-50s, she practically lived at Graceland with Elvis and his family. Elvis intended to take her out on the road as part of his touring package, but those plans were permanently derailed when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in late 1958.

Frustrated by a lack of commercial promotion at Sun Records, she relocated to California in the 60s. There, she reinvented herself as a session and studio singer in Hollywood.

During the latter part of the 60s there was an explosion of biker exploitation films, and she found steady work singing on movie soundtracks. Recording under the pseudonym Barbara and the Visitors, her husky, blues-infused voice provided the musical backdrop for several classic motorcycle films, including:

  • The Wild Angels (1966) – Starring Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra
  • Hells Angels on Wheels (1967) – Starring Jack Nicholson
  • Wild Wheels (1969) – Starring Deejay Casey Kasem in a major supporting role as “Knife”

Though she is celebrated today for her explosive 1956 rockabilly anthem “I Need a Man,”  she never achieved the massive global stardom of her childhood friend Elvis.

However, the rockabilly revival of the 70s and 80s brought Barbara Pittman a wave of well-deserved recognition. European music fans embraced her as royalty, recognizing her “Everlasting Love,” a 1958 lost treasure and this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.

YouTube video of this song:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMm3iTcB1l0

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.