Riley is perhaps best remembered for his classic 1957 single, "Flying Saucers Rock and Roll" -- a novelty rockabilly rave-up inspired by the era's U.F.O. mania -- which proved a hit and prompted him to rename his band the Little Green Men.
Despite this promising start, Riley's commercial fate was sealed after Sun put its promotional efforts behind Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" -- a song Riley played on -- which zoomed up the charts and past his own follow-up single "Red Hot."
Despite his disappointment, Riley continued to record for Sun and Phillips for several years, before going on to cut sides for Mercury, Atlantic and Crown, as well as his own Nita and Mojo labels, creating a body of work that's been championed by rock critics and notable fans, including Bob Dylan.
