PowerPoint presentation tracing the development of Rock and Roll in the 1950s

1. 1950's Music
Pop
R & B
Doo-Wop
Rockabilly
Rock n Roll

2. The Early 1950's
Continuation of 40's "feel good" music
featuring light melodies, sweet lyrics,
and wholesome singers.
adults are listening to Pat Boone, Perry
Como, Doris Day, Tony Bennett, Patti
Page, and Nat King Cole.

3. Rosemary
Clooney
Perry
Como
Patti
Page
Tony
Bennett

4. But,
their children are beginning to hear
the beat of "Rhythm and Blues,"
by artist like Louis Jordan,
Ike Turner, Muddy Waters,
Johnny Otis, and
Big Momma Thornton

5. Louis Jordan
"Saturday Night
Fish Fry"
includes all the basic elements of rock'n'roll
a first popular song with the word "rocking"
features a distorted electric guitar
obviously influenced the work of Bill Haley

6. Louis Jordan Johnny Otis

7. Big Momma Thornton
- first artist to record
Hound Dog - 1952
a song later made
famous by Elvis - 1956

8. parents' choice teens' choice
You ain't nothin' but a hound dog

9. Records by black artist do not sell well
because black teens have less money
to spend and many white parents do
not want their children listening to
or idolizing the black artist, so white
artist do "cover" songs of black artist.

10. Little RichardPat Boone
example of popular white "cover" artist

11. Sun Studios in Memphis and Chess Records
in Chicago began recording predominantly
black (R&B) Rhythm and Blues artist like
Junior Parker, Little Milton, Howlin' Wolf,
B B King, James Cotton, and Muddy Waters.
Later, both studios also recorded many of
the black and white rock n roll artist.

12. Memphis Recording Service / became Sun Studio

13. Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
"Rocket 88" at Sun Studio 1951

14. 1951 Rocket 88
You may have heard of jalopies,
You heard the noise they make,
Let me introduce you to my Rocket '88.
Yes it's great, just won't wait,
Everybody likes my Rocket '88.

15. Howlin' Wolf
B B King

16. Chess Records - Chicago

17. Muddy Waters
Little Walter

18. But, what each studio needed was a
crossover artist, someone who had the
energy of Rhythm and Blues and the
marketability of Pat Boone.
Sun Studio found Elvis Presley
Chess Studio found Chuck Berry

19. Elvis

20. Chuck Berry

21. In 1951, Cleveland-based disc jockey Alan Freed
began playing R&B styled music aimed primarily
at a black audience and popularizing the term
rock and roll to describe it.
As his show became extremely popular, the term
rock n roll caught on and became widely used to
describe the evolving style of music.
Alan Freed and Rock n Roll

22. Alan "Moon Dog" Freed
Early influential DJ (Disc Jockey)

23. Live remote broadcast in Cleveland

25. Moondog Coronation Ball - March 21, 1952
birth date of rock n roll

26. Paul Williams and The Hucklebucks
Headline artist at Moondog Ball

27. Tiny Grimes and the Rockin' Highlanders
Headline artist at Moondog Ball

28. Things that Influenced the
prosperity of Rock n Roll
- Financial prosperity of the 1950's
- "Teenager" earns a place in American culture
- Accessible music wherever you might be

29. Child
Adult
Teenager

30. from 1946 to 1960, the number of high
school teenagers ballooned from 5.6
million to 11.8 million in the U.S.
The prosperity of the era meant they
could afford their own music, clothes,
cars, and entertainment.

31. Access to rock n roll was widespread
through numerous means.
Rock n Roll on Records
-albums yes, but primarily
45 rpm singles which cost
90 cents to a dollar each.

32. Players were sold below cost to promote the sale of 45 rpm records

34. 1952
Seeburg M100C
held 100 45 rpm
records, so it
provided 200
selections

35. 1952 Seeburg M100C
5 cents a play or
6 for a quarter

36. A jukebox in every soda shop and drugstore

37. Select songs right from your booth

38. Record Store 1955

39. Selling records from
the back of a truck
at college concert

40. Rock n Roll on the radio
AM frequencies only
FM radio was insignificant at this time

41. 1950 Transistor Radio

44. WBMS - Boston, Massachusetts
WKBW - Buffalo, New York
WSBC - Chicago, Illinois
WWDC - Washington, D.C.
WLAC - Nashville, Tennessee
WEDR - Birmingham, Alabama
WLOK - New Orleans
WOBS - Jacksonville, Florida
Some of the early AM radio stations that played rock n roll.
Notice they cover the entire north to south area, east
of the Mississippi River.
Radio station didn't have to be local, for at night, radio signals
for AM radio can go long distances, especially when the air is cold

45. Rock n Roll on Television

46. Dick Clark's
American Bandstand
5 days a week
at 3:30
1956

48. Ed Sullivan Show
Saturday night
Elvis

49. Buddy Holly

50. cancelled after 4th episode because black artist Frankie
Lymon danced with a white girl from the studio audience.
The Big Beat with Alan Freed

51. Rock n Roll at the Movies

54. 1956

56. Rock n Roll at Live Concerts
Many of these artist traveled
from city to city across the U.S.
to play combined shows.

59. Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, Jerry Lee Lewis

62. Sept 1: Pontchartrain Bch, New Orleans, LA
Sept 2: Arkansas Mun. Stad., Texarkana, AR
Sept 3: Sportatorium, Dallas, TX
Sept 3: Roundup Club, Dallas, TX
Sept 5: St. Francis Co. Fair, Forrest City, AR
Sept 6: Bono High School, Bono, AR
Sept 7: Nat’l Guard Armory, Sikeston, AR
Sept 8: Municipal Aud., Clarksdale, MS
Sept 9: McComb H.S., McComb, MS
Sept 10: Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, LA
Sept 11: Municipal Aud., Norfolk, VA
Sept 12: Municipal Aud., Norfolk, VA
Sept 13: Shrine Auditorium, New Bern, NC
Sept 14: Fleming Stadium, Wilson, NC
Sept 15: Am. Legion Aud., Roanoke, VA
Sept 16: City Auditorium, Asheville, NC
Sept 17: Thomasville H.S., Thomasville, NC
Sept 18: WRVA Theater, Richmond, VA
Sept 19: WRVA Theater, Richmond, VA
Sept 20: Danville Fairgrounds, Danville, VA
Sept 21: Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh, NC
Sept 22: Civic Auditorium, Kingsport, TN
Sept 24: Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, LA
Sept 26: Gilmer Junior H.S., Gilmer, TX
Sept 28: B&B Club, Gobler, MO
Elvis' appearance schedule
for September 1955
25 appearances in
9 different states
some in auditoriums,
schools, theaters, and
fairgrounds

63. Elvis at Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds, Tupelo, MS, September 1956

64. Music
of the early 50's
Primarily crooners and pop singers

69. Music
of the mid to late 50's
Rockabilly, Doo-Wop, R&B
all under the umbrella of
Rock n Roll

70. Bill Haley and the Comets

71. Bill Haley and
his "signature"
hairdo

72. Carl Perkins – Blue Suede Shoes

73. Perkins is not wearing them in the picture,
but they were a real fad in 50's

74. The Turbans - Early Doo-Wop group

75. one of the few integrated groups to succeed in the 1950s.
The Del Vikings

76. Another integrated group - The Impalas

77. Fats Domino

80. Frankie Lymon
and the Teenagers

81. Chuck Berry

82. Bo Diddley Jerry Lee Lewis

83. Little Richard

84. Buddy Holly and the Crickets

85. The King - Elvis Presley

86. Teenage
Reaction to
Rock n Roll

90. Adult Reaction to Rock n Roll
Too Loud
Can't understand the lyrics
Dancing is Suggestive
Fosters Rebellion

91. Progression of Rock n Roll hits in the 50's
1953 Bill Haley and His Comets - Crazy Man Crazy
1954 - Bill Haley and the Comets - Shake Rattle and Roll
1955 - Bill Haley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, The Platters
1956 Bill Haley, The Platters, Little Richard, Carl Perkins,
Frankie Lymon, Gene Vincent, Fats Domino, and Elvis Presley

92. 1957 - Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Buddy Knox, Chuck Berry,
The Diamonds, Ricky Nelson, Everly Brothers, The Coasters,
Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Bill Justis, Dell Vikings,
Little Richard, Mickey and Silvia
1958 - add to the above Danny and the Juniors, The Champs,
The Silhouettes, Bobby Darin, Duane Eddy, The Big Bopper,
Eddie Cochran, Richie Valens,

93. 1959 - While some of the late 50's artist continue to
produce hits, Rock and Roll begins to fragment into the
musical styles of the 1960's ( pop rock, beat, psychedelic,
blues rock, funk, soul, folk, and perhaps most noticeably
the British Invasion.)

94. Perhaps the demise of the golden age of
Rock n Roll was best eulogized by Don
McLean in his song American Pie when he
referenced the 1959 deaths of musicians
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big
Bopper as "the day the music died."

95. Examples of the artist's music in this
PowerPoint can be found on Spotify
and YouTube.