He Called It Rock And Roll

2 Pages 525 Words

He Called it Rock and Roll
Alan Freed was a disc jockey pioneer in the 20th century of American radio. Freed was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on November 21, 1921. While attending high school in Ohio, Freed became the leader of a jazz band for the group Sultans of Swing. While in college, Freed’s interest in radio grew; as a result, he pursued his dream that would eventually lead to his famous phrase “rock-and-roll” (Simon 2).
After World War II, Freed landed several different jobs as a radio disc jockey. He started at WKST in New Castle, Pennsylvania before moving on to WJW in Cleveland, Ohio. Freed favorite music was composed primarily by blacks. The music was branded at the time as rhythm-and-blues. During the 1950’s, racial prejudice was predominant so he decided to call the music something original. While at WJW, his show “Moondog’s Rock’n’Roll Party” was to honor the rhythm-and-blues music that he loved (Inductee 1). With his legendary saying, he was able to get his listeners to cross ethnic lines.
In March of 1952 he promoted the “Moondog Coronation Ball” which was held in Cleveland. A near riot ensued when 25,000 fans tried to attend. Most of the fans trying to get in were white teenagers. His ball is considered the first concert of rock-and-roll music in America (Inductee 1). After he decided it was time to move on, he took a job at WINS in New York. While in New York, he continued to spread rock-and-roll through radio, TV, movies, and live shows. The live shows he promoted were all-star shows held at Brooklyn’s Paramount Theater (Jockey 3).
Freed’s support of rhythm and blues and his popularity among both black and white teenagers made him an adversary with both racists and musical conservatives. Many white artists would cover a song that had been recorded by a black artist, and if the cover was not as good as the original, the cover would be promoted by disc jockeys a...