A Brief History
Today’s music originally developed from what was known as African township jive Instead of instruments, these artists used their mouth, lips, and tongues to create a variety of sounds, later duplicated by instrumentation
The jive was brought into the southeast part of this country by blacks from Africa They began mixing their musical style with a crude form of English (lyrics) that they were taught by the slave owners
Different types of music were played in different parts of the country The record industry allowed people in one part to hear music from another part This led to hybrids and resulted in new styles of music record producer Sam Phillips Sam Phillips
America was not quite ready for this radical sound Adults were listening to Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey and other big band groups The Tommy Dorsey Band
March, 1951 "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
In the mid 1950s white groups and artists began recording songs previously made hits by black singers These singers were called “cover” artists Danny & the Juniors
July 6, Elvis records "That's All Right Mama" He was considered to be white singer with black sounds He was also a cover artist
Tragedy stuck the music industry in the late 50s February 3, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) were killed in a plane crash near Cedar Lake, Iowa This is called “The day the music died”
Risked their careers and occasionally their lives to play music they thought America should hear Chuck Berry Little Richard The Coasters
Freed was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania Grew up in Salem, Ohio (Columbiana County) near Youngstown Worked in New Castle, PA and Youngstown In 1945 began DJ career at WAKR, Akron playing hot jazz and pop at age 23
Began with Elvis' "That's All Right" September 9, st of three appearances on Ed Sullivan Show January 6, 1957 was his final appearance; CBS censors ordered that he be shown only from the waist up
Ended when he got drafted in 1957 and was inducted into the Army March 24, 1958
During this same time, Buddy Holly was recording more original white rock August 5, ABC-TV begins after school broadcast of "American Bandstand" from WFIL, Philadelphia Dick Clark
Jerry Lee Lewis was challenging Elvis for the title "King of Rock and Roll" Announced that he married his 13-year old cousin (not his first marriage) That ruined him Last Jerry Lee hit was "High School Hop"
This is the way groups auditioned for music reps In Philadelphia the "Do-wop" sound was highlighted by Dion and the Belmonts In 1958 "I Wonder Why" was their first big hit