Alan Freed’s Impact on the Rise of Rock ‘n’ Roll 1950’s America was an era where most radio listeners could enjoy the sounds of Big Band music, Frank Sinatra style crooners, and a few pop tunes. This was typical on the playlists at the time, however, this style of music was slowly opening the way towards a new genre of music. This new genre of music was being introduced on the radio in Ohio by a disc jockey by the name of Alan Freed. Alan “Moondog” Freed started out by playing a mixture of rhythm and blues radio; music that was performed by black musicians and intended for black audiences. This rhythm and blues music has not yet gotten onto mainstream radio, but would soon be played by disc jockeys all over the country under the …show more content…
However, Freed was the first to use the term “Rock ‘n’ Roll” to refer to rhythm and blues music that was crossing over to white teenage audiences. Rhythm and blues was largely segregated genre, much like American society at the time. This new term of “Rock ‘n’ Roll” helped bridge the gap between the two cultures that both enjoyed the same music.
Freed worked under Leo Mintz in the early 1950’s who encouraged him to emcee a rhythm and blues radio program at WJW radio. Mintz was the owner of the Record Rendezvous, one of Cleveland’s largest record stores, and he had noticed young white kids buying what had been considered exclusively black music a few years earlier. Mintz believed that the R&B music was appealing to the white kids because of its beat,
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Freed was making a name for himself with his stylistic influence on what teenagers where listening and dancing to. Rolling Stone writer John Morthland would later observe: “Freed yips, moans and brays, gearing up for another evening hosting the hottest rhythm & blues show in the land. He spins the hits and continues his manic patter throughout the night, spewing forth rhymed jive with the speed and flections of a Holy Roller at the Pearly Gates.” Another reporter by Cash Box wrote: “This reviewer has been through the teen age hysteria that existed from 1936 through 1945 when the kids danced in the aisles to the music of Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey and others, but never have these eyes seen fanatical exuberance such as the type displayed at Alan Freed’s sensational 1st Anniversary Rock ’n roll program…” Freed’s radio style became infectious, and soon other radio hosts began imitating after his success, promoting similar rhythm and blues songs as mainstream music. Freed attempted to copyright the term “rock ‘n’ roll” which wasn’t widely used at the time, but soon, the wave of rock ‘n’ roll music made the term common parlance and Freed’s claim was for
Rock and Roll was one of the first medias to end segregation within itself, it brought blacks and whites together and was lead by not surprisingly the youth culture.
Glenn puts together his material by topic which really worked well with the way rock ’n’ roll changed that time of period. For example, one of the beginning sections he talks about how pop music was in direct alignment with how the culture was reacting at the time to what was in the music itself. In the next couple sections, he would talk about how parents, or the older generations, reacted to the way how rock ’n’ roll was sung by “cretinous goons” said by the great, Frank Sinatra or how it “Bears passing resemblance to Hitlers mass meeting, said Times magazine, referring to the live concerts held. By
American youth of the 1950s weren't crazy about the easy-listening pop music their parents enjoyed. Crooners like Johnny Ray, who sang, “Gee but it’s great after staying out late/walking my baby back home/Arm and arm over meadow and farm/walking my baby back home” and balladeers like Perry Como singing, "Don’t let the stars get in your eyes /Don’t let the moon break your heart / Love blooms at night / in daylight it dies," did not excite the younger population. Fifties popular music was for adults and not quite what the teens wanted to hear at their school dances, in soda shop or in their cars after school.
On July 24, 1701, the oldest city outside of the original thirteen colonies was founded. This city would go on to be one of the more fascinating cities of the United States. Not only is this city home to riveting buildings, such as the only floating post office in America, but it is also home to Motown. This city is Detroit. With the merger of different styles of jazz and blues, Detroit was filled with potential; it wasn’t until Motown, though, that this talent reached a national level.
Duke Ellington During the 1920’s, jazz became the new, hot thing. Many musicians and composers made their mark during this time period. Duke Ellington was one of them. He turned America on their heads and got them on their feet.
One of the most popular genres of music known to mankind today is the music of jazz. During the mid 1910’s, many of the nation 's population were living in the urban areas causing for ethnic diversity and a era for people to learn to express themselves. The 1920s brought many advancements to today 's society especially in music. Jazz was making its debut in the 1920s, which is why it is known as the ‘Jazz Age’. From the 1920 's through the late 1950 's jazz was shaped from the absolute entirety of African American.
Radio and Television The music of the 1960s and 1970s definitely had an impact on culture and society in the United States. Protest music, specifically, brought ideas, as well as problems, to the attention of many Americans. Radio stations across the nation were a big part of the spread of protest music. Radio experienced a boom after World War II.
Rock music in the 1960s was egalitarian, eclectic, and real based on a number of reasons. To explain the 'real' piece of rock music in the 1960s, one would have to know that there was war going on overseas that didn't make sense to Americans as to why it was going on (the Vietnam war). There was also still severe inequality between blacks and whites causing protests to occur via the Civil Rights movement, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There was inequality between women and mens rights. These issues caused dissatisfaction to occur in the American people.
Now, people didn’t have to wait for the daily paper to look at ads, they wouldn’t have to go any farther than switching the television on and sitting in their living room. There was new music hitting the streets and, although, not everyone appreciated the music it sure made a bang in the 1950’s. A new music era was becoming more and more popular, it was called Rock and Roll. By 1955, Little Richard, was an up and coming Rock and Roller from the south.
Originating from African Americans residing in the deep south, blues music began to spread. Chicago bloomed with blues and became the roots for this style of music. The use of pathos and ethos allows the author to delve into the Stones and how they made a name for African American musicians. He uses direct quotes from blues musicians, like Muddy Waters, to provide an emotional attachment to the struggles of African American musicians during this time. He also provides a detailed background with interviews to provide a glimpse into their life and credibility.
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and the “Shook-Up” Generation The 1950s were a period of extreme change in the United States. On top of the end of World War II, the United States entered into a consumer society with a shift to white-collar work. In the 1950s, the emergence of rock ’n’ roll forever altered the lifestyle of American citizens because it brought forth questions to gender roles, sexuality, generational conflicts, and race. Of all the artists from the era, Jerry Lee Lewis was the embodiment of the hatred towards the new sexuality of rock and roll, for his songs contained lyrics that were seen as risqué and impure.
Why was radio more influential in the development of hillbilly music than in the development of race music? Radio was more influencal for hillbilly music, because most people could afford the radio. At the time the radio companies were owned by white people, so they would play songs mostly made by white people, like hillbilly music. Race music however, wasn’t played on the radio since they weren’t made by white people.
Rock N’ Roll was a new music genre accepted and loved by many teenagers of the time. While their parents felt that Elvis Presley ruined music, the teens disagreed, and with so many teenagers at the time, there were many to keep the genre alive. Teens wanted to release the tensions that bubbled beneath the smooth surface of postwar America. In a biography about Presley, a.k.a. the king of Rock N’ Roll, it writes a historical moment, when Presley was filmed from only the waist-up.
Rock and Roll was a very popular cultural aspect of the 50s. It originated from African American culture then the whites interpreted it. One of the first singers to do this was the very king of rock and roll himself, Elvis Presley. Many adults hated this new music and wanted to ban it. A huge part of it was censored, for example on the Ed Sullivan show, Elvis had to wear a tuxedo and wasn’t allowed to dance because his moves were “sexually inappropriate”.
The migration of workers to urban areas, prosperity, and the anxiety of social change all contributed to the development of Rock and Roll and Civil Rights. Social anxieties of the Civil Rights Movement such as: institutionalized racial slavery, segregation, discrimination, and the struggle for equality were strongly exemplified throughout African American music, which would soon transform into Rock and Roll. Essentially, Rock music originated amongst the African American culture deriving from jazz, gospel, rhythm, and blues. Ultimately, these genres together corresponded to create Rock and Roll. Seeing that music has the ability to reflect and influence social movements and interactions, the music that becomes popular can gain national recognition (“Concurrent