14 Facts About Rudy Pompilli

Rudy Pompilli was usually credited under the alternate spelling Rudy Pompilli and occasionally as Rudy Pell.

Rudy Pompilli was skilled at playing both saxophone and clarinet, and spent the beginning of his career playing in jazz bands.

That orchestra coincidentally scored a hit with a cover version of Haley's "Crazy Man, Crazy", though research by Haley historian Chris Gardner found no evidence that Rudy Pompilli performed on that recording.

Rudy Pompilli was invited to join the Comets in September 1955, after Haley's previous sax player, Joey Ambrose, quit along with two other Comets to form The Jodimars.

Rudy Pompilli co-wrote the hit "Week End" with Franny Beecher and Billy Williamson, which reached No 35 on the Billboard pop chart when released as a single in 1958 as by The Kingsmen on East West Records, East West 115.

Rudy Pompilli co-wrote the B-side, "Better Believe It", with Johnny Grande and Ralph Jones.

Rudy Pompilli was not a smoker himself, and is believed to have contracted the disease through passive smoking.

Rudy Pompilli continued to perform at the Nite Cap, a club in Chester, Pennsylvania; at one of his very last performances he performed with his former Comets bandmate Franny Beecher as well as then-current Comets guitarist Bill Turner.

Rudy Pompilli died from lung cancer on February 5,1976, in Philadelphia.

Rudy Pompilli was named Sax Player of the Year by Down Beat magazine in 1957.

In 2012, Rudy Pompilli was inducted as a member of the Comets into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by a special committee, aimed at correcting the previous mistake of not inducting the band with Bill Haley in 1987.

Rudy Pompilli co-wrote "Week End" with Franny Beecher and Billy Williamson and the B side, "Better Believe It", with Johnny Grande and Ralph Jones.

Rudy Pompilli co-wrote "Rudy's Rock" with Bill Haley and "Calling All Comets" with Bill Haley and Milt Gabler.

Rudy Pompilli co-wrote "Hey Then, There Now" with Ralph Jones.