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

Early Beginnings

•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

Early Beginnings

•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

1920’s

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

First Rock Hit

The Tommy Dorsey Band

March, 1951 "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats

First Rock Hit

•In the mid 1950s white groups and artists began recording songs previously made hits by black singers• These singers were called “cover” artists

Cover Groups

Danny & the Juniors

•July 6, 1954 - Elvis records "That's All Right Mama" •He was considered to be white singer with black sounds •He was also a cover artist

Cover Groups

•Tragedy stuck the music industry in the late 50s February 3, 1959 - 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”

The Day The Music Died

Risked their careers and occasionally their lives to play music they thought America should hear

The Early DJ’S

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

Alan Freed

•Began with Elvis' "That's All Right" •September 9, 1956 - 1st 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

Rockabilly Era (1954-1958)

Ended when he got drafted in 1957 and was inducted into the Army March 24, 1958

Rockabilly Era (1954-1958)

•During this same time, Buddy Holly was recording more original white rock • August 5, 1957 - ABC-TV begins after school broadcast of "American Bandstand" from WFIL, Philadelphia

Rockabilly Era (1954-1958)

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"

Rockabilly Era (1954-1958)

•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

Street Corners & Do-Wops