Early rock and roll

larc

I was in high school, in the fifties, when it all began, yes, I am talking about rock and roll. Here is my experience and my opinion. Late at night, I would get into bed and turn on an AM station from Cleveland. A guy named Moon Dog played the really good stuff. As a result, I had several favorites that I liked more than the King = Elvis. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Little Richard
2. Fats Domino
3. Jerry Lee Lewis (cousin of Jimmy Swagart)
4. Buddy Holly and the Crickets
5. Bill Hailey and the Comets
6. Carl Perkins (rocka billy music)
7. Gene Vincent (one hit wonder)
8. Frog Man Henry (one hit wonder)
9. Duane Eddy (guitar rock and roll)

Elvis's first hit was the two sided combo of Hound Dog and Don't be Cruel, good music, but I liked his rock a billy sound before he became famous. Songs like Money Honey. Carl Perkins version of Blue Suede Shoes is better than the Elvis rendition.

History: In Akron, Ohio there was a radio announcer named Alan Freed. He moved to Cleveland and had an afternoon movie program. Then, he moved to New York and promoted rock and roll. His story is told in the movie, American Hot Wax. Alan Freed is credited with coming up with the name, rock and roll. His daughter married a man named Dick Libratore, who inherited Alan Freed's record collection and promoted early rock and roll on the radio on a Cleveland station. That is probably why the rock and roll hall of fame is in Cleveland.

Music I hated: songs by Pat Boone and Ricky Nelson. They took really good black rock and roll and turned it into mush.

An obscure song by Little Richard - All around the world, rock and roll is here to stay. He was right!

LB

My highschool years were the early 60's. I started out loveing the surf music, especially the Beach Boys and then Jan and Dean. The British invasion was next and the Beatles took over, but I never bought a single album.

Never Squat With Yer Spurs On

Thomas Poole

Yes, and Wolf Man Jack was in there someplace. I played big band then, at least what was left of it. The fellows I knew hated those names you mentioned. They were like hicksville and red-necked.

The men I played with knew the WWII songs, the romanticism of warfare. I played 2nd tenor, lead tenor. We had about 580 arrangments: all the Glen Miller Stuff, Bennie Goodmen, Lional Hampton, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Les Brown, Matavonne, and so forth. They don't even sell those music arrangements anymore for a complete band, that I know of.

We danced real too, like we threw them gals over our shoulders, between our legs, around our waist. We could turn 3-times around going from standing tall to squat. We could jump with patten-leather black shoes from ground to straight tall. That's when women were feminine and proud to be so; they wore dresses. Tango, samba, waltz, rumba, and so forth were common things.

It was fun to dress to the nines; women in gowns, men in dinner jackets and tux, ballrooms all over town. We were cool cats: white shoes, white thin belts, bright pink shirts, chain loops 12 inches long, chain watches.

In the Carolinas, most of us were innocent through most of it. For a gal to smoke or color her hair meant she was a slut. No one cursed when he talk.

A different era but the same-old same-old. It was Satan's world beating to a different drum beat. The marketing mind was still there calling the shots and steering the public.

In the mist of it were those that were popular because then had money or were attractive. Many of the rest might suffer from loneliness, envy, being bored, and so forth. There were still dumb parents raising dumb children, like today.

Yes I had fun; however, if I had had mental, emotional, and spiritual training; I would never have joined the military or become a Jehovah's Witness.

Each generation has it's own ignorance, without Christ.

The created world is not the real world. The invisible realm was here first.

Heavenly Father may your Kingdom come soon. Come Lord Jesus.

larc

Thomas,

I enjoyed the big band era too. I still enjoy that music. Now, I have a question. Your picture is of a young man. Did you experience the big band era or you going on old movies and other historical information?