Alan Freed

1921-1965

Overview:

Alan Freed was born on 12/15/1921 in Windber, Pennsylvania. In 1933, his family moved to Salem, Ohio, where Freed graduated from high school. While in high school, he played trombone in a band he formed called the Sultans of Swing. Sadly, he had to end his dreams of being a bandleader due to an ear infection.

He became interested in radio while at Ohio State University. After serving in US Army during World War II and working as a DJ on Armed Forces radio, he began a broadcasting career, moving around to several smaller radio stations in Ohio and Pennsylvania. He joined WAKR 1590 AM radio in Akron, Ohio, in 1945 and became a star.

In 1950, he moved to Cleveland’s WEXL-TV and began his late-night, rock-n-roll-themed Moondog show on WJW radio in July 1951. On March 21, 1952, he presented the “Moondog Coronation Ball” in Cleveland. It is considered to be the first rock and roll concert. He went to New York in 1954. His career was derailed in 1959 by a payola scandal in which he was accused of taking money to play certain songs on the radio. He died on 1/20/1965.

He became the first DJ and concert producer to frequently play and promote rock and roll. He is even credited with coining the term “rock and roll” although it is more appropriate to say he popularized an already existing but obscure term. He was also influential in knocking down the walls of segregation by playing black artists on his radio program and presenting live concerts for racially mixed audiences.