Rock N' Roll

In the late 1940’s and early 1950’s a new form of music was founded.  Rock n’ roll was given its name by a disc jockey in Ohio named Alan Freed in 1951 (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum).  Rock n’ roll was a mix of blues, country, gospel and jazz.  The new type of music had many parents concerned that their children were being corrupted by the noise.  The birthplace of rock n’ roll is still be debated, some say Memphis, others say New Orleans or Detroit.  There are many of people who believe that rock n’ roll began in Hattiesburg, Mississippi with the Graves Brothers and their songs “I’ll Be Rested” and “Woke Up this Morning (With My Mind on Jesus)” in the late 1930’s (Cook).  Though New Orleans wasn’t considered the birthplace of rock n’ roll, it played a large part in its evolution.  Cosimo Matassa was a sound engineer that realized that artists with a new sound were migrating down to New Orleans.  He also identified the importance of the radio and the positive effect it could have on music and opened J&M Recording Studio on Rampart Street in the mid 1940’s.  Fats Domino recorded “The Fat Man” at this studio and sold over a million copies which is credited for putting New Orleans on the map for rock n’ roll (Branley).  New Orleans attracted many notable rock n’ roll musicians such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles. 

Elvis Presley before his performance in New Orleans

Branley, Edward. "NOLA History: Rock and Roll in New Orleans." GO NOLA. New Orleans Tourism Marketing, 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Dec. 2015. <http://gonola.com/2014/04/21/nola-history-rock-and-roll-in-new-orleans.html>. 

Cook, Alex V. "Hattiesburg: Birthplace of Rock N' Roll." Country Roads. N.p., July 2013. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. <http://www.countryroadsmagazine.com/culture/visual-performing-arts/hattiesburg-birthplace-of-rock-n-roll>. 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum. "The Big Bang! The Birth of Rock and Roll." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. N.p., 2015. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.