Alan Freed

Alan Freed was an American radio disc jockey and concert promoter who helped popularize rock and roll in the 1950s, especially by playing rhythm and blues for racially mixed audiences.

Rock and roll: A popular music genre that emerged in the United States in the 1950s from rhythm and blues, country, and related styles. Freed helped establish this music as a national youth phenomenon.
WJW (AM): A Cleveland radio station that broadcast on 850 kilohertz during Alan Freed’s early career. Freed’s late-night program there helped establish his audience and the phrase “rock and roll.”
Pittsburgh: A city in western Pennsylvania where Alan Freed was born in 1921. Freed’s early life began there before his broadcasting career took shape in Ohio.
Cleveland Arena: A Cleveland indoor sports and concert venue that hosted major events promoted by Alan Freed. Freed used the arena for large shows that brought rock-and-roll performers to local audiences.
Elvis Presley: An American singer whose performances and recordings made him one of the best-known figures in 1950s rock and roll. Freed promoted Presley as rock and roll moved into national popular culture.
Rhythm and blues: A genre of Black American popular music that developed from blues, jazz, and gospel traditions. Freed’s broadcasts introduced many white listeners to this music.
Moondog House: Alan Freed’s radio program on Cleveland station WJW, featuring rhythm and blues and early rock and roll. The show connected Freed’s energetic presentation with music rarely heard on mainstream radio.
Ohio State University: A public research university in Columbus, Ohio, attended by Alan Freed. Freed studied there before leaving college and pursuing radio work.
Morris Levy: An American music-industry executive and record-label owner associated with jazz and rock and roll. Levy’s business dealings intersected with Freed’s concerts and the early rock-and-roll industry.
Little Richard: An American singer and pianist whose exuberant performances and recordings shaped early rock and roll. His music illustrates the Black artistry central to the sound Freed popularized.

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