Today in Music (1921): Alan Freed was born.

Alan Freed, 1921-1965

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. Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Alan Freed DMDB blog: March 21, 1952: DJ Alan Freed hosted the first rock 'n' roll show

Awards:

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Alan Freed Dave’s Music Database: Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists Wikipedia First posted 12/12/2023.

DJ Alan Freed hosted the first rock ‘n’ roll show: March 21, 1952

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The first Moondog Coronation Ball was held in Cleveland. The event is generally considered the first rock ‘n’ roll show in the U.S. Featured acts included a mix of black and white performers intended to attract a racially mixed audience. Among the acts were Paul Williams’ Hucklebuckers, Tiny Grimes’ Rockin’ Highlanders (featuring Screamin’ Jay Hawkins), The Dominoes, and Danny Cobb. At the time, nearly all performances, radio stations, and record labels were racially segregated.



DJ Alan Freed, who conceived and promoted the event, is credited with coining the term “rock and roll.” The event took its name from “Moondoggers” – the nickname he gave his listeners. Freed came to Cleveland’s WXEL-TV in April 1950 and began his late-night, rock-n-roll-themed Moondog show on WJW radio in July 1951. He went to New York in 1954 and left the business in 1959 after involvement in a payola scandal. He died in 1965 at age 43.





The event, held at the Cleveland Arena, proved a bit of a fiasco as promoters continued selling tickets long after they’d reached the venue’s roughly-10,000 seat capacity. At least some of the additional tickets have been attributed to counterfeiting. It was estimated that 20,000 fans showed up. When they couldn’t get in, the crowd broke down the doors to storm the arena. Local authorities shut down the concert after the first song for fear of rioting.

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Resources and Related Links:

• Alan Freed’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia
  
• About.com: Moondog Coronation Ball – Past and Present by Sandy Mitchell
  
• Fiftiesweb.com: Moondog Coronation Ball
  
• Wikipedia: Moondog Coronation Ball
  

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