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Bill Black's Combo was formed in 1959 by Bill Black, who was the bassist in Elvis Presley's early band. The original lineup included Black on bass, Joe Lewis Hall on piano, Reggie Young on guitar, Martin Willis on saxophone, and Jerry Arnold on drums. Over the next couple of years, the band experienced several personnel changes, with members such as Hank Hankins, Chips Moman, or Tommy Cogbill on guitar, Ace Cannon on sax, and Carl McVoy or Bobby Emmons on piano joining the group. They achieved notable success with hits like "Smokie, Part 2" and "White Silver Sands," which reached #17 and #9 on the U.S. pop charts, respectively, and both topped the R&B charts. Between 1959 and 1962, eight of their recordings made it into the Top 40. In 1961, they were recognized as Billboard's number one instrumental group. After Bill Black's passing in late 1965, the band continued to produce albums.

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