This website is all about Rock and Roll, aka Rock n’ Roll, or just plain Rock. Specifically, we’re looking at the early years, from the time Alan Freed popularized the name, until Woodstock.  This was The Golden Age of Rock and Roll.

The Beginnings of Rock

Maybe it was the way that the stars were aligned, or maybe it was just chance, but something great happened when Rock and Roll was born. This was the time of the baby boomers, the birth of TV, the beginning of the computer, and some of the best music ever played.

Much of the early history of Rock and Roll is rooted in race and the cultural segregation of the times. Rhythm and Blues was the popular African American music style, and while it held appeal for white audiences, it was known as Race music, making it culturally off-limits for most whites and banned by most radio stations. Record companies got around this bias by having white musicians record cover versions of R&B songs for white audiences. At the same time, sharp Disk Jockeys, most notably Alan Freed, called these new recordings Rock and Roll, avoiding the Rhythm and Blues or Race music labels.

The result was a fusion of black Rhythm and Blues with white Country and Western and was helped along by a few pioneers that were smart and brave enough to mix the two together. Many of these early rockers were considered rebels at the time, but today they’re our heroes.

Rock was for teens. While our parents were listening to Perry Como, Mitch Miller, and Rosemary Clooney, we were rocking with Elvis, Bill Haley, and Chuck Berry. The beat was different, defiant, and strong…not the type of stuff that made most parents happy. The lyrics were tuned to adolescent love and life, with common themes of school, cars, and vacation.

Fifty years later, we’re still rocking and Rock and Roll is going strong. Please browse through my site and enjoy some history with The Golden Age of Rock.

The Golden Age of Rock Sections

Artists – About the Artists and Bands from Rock’s Golden Years. 
read more…

Music – The origin of the name Rock and Roll, where the music came from, and what makes it unique.
read more…

Times – You can’t understand the music without knowing about the times.
read more…

Technology – Take a closer look at these technologies that helped make the Golden Age of Rock.
read more…

Music Business – The inner workings of the music industry and the people and institutions that are behind the stars.
read more…

Shows – Some of the famous shows and concerts that put Rock on the map.
read more…