Born: December 15, 1921, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA Died: January 20, 1965, Palm Springs, California, USA Legendary rock-and-roll DJ who is often credited with the term "Rock-and-Roll," though he didn't actually coin it. Many of the top African-American performers of the first generation of rock and roll salute Alan Freed for his pioneering attitude in breaking down racial barriers among the youth of 1950s America. His career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry in the early 1960s. Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 .
Legendary radio disc jockey in the 1950s who helped popularize the term "Rock and Roll" music.
Posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1988.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1986 under the category Non-Performer.
Worked as a disc jockey at WJW in Cleveland from 1951-1954 and hosted the late-night "Moondog Rock n Roll Party". In 1952, he promoted the "Moondog Coronation Ball" widely regarded as the first ever rock concert.
Broke down barriers by playing music of black artists for primarily white audiences long before most anyone else in the business.
Was arrested and pleaded guilty to accepting "Payola" (bribes for playing certain songs). He was blacklisted from broadcasting and died broke and bitter in 1965 at age 42.
He returned to New York in 1961 to host a "Twist" review at the Audobon Ballroom. The event was not well publicized at the time, as he had lost his New York City radio (WABC) and television (WNEW) programs in 1959 due to the payola scandal. Attendance was poor. In essence, he had lost his fan base to relative newcomers, disc jockey "Murray the K" and television host Clay Cole, who by that time, were hosting well publicized R n R shows in the New York Tri State area.
After being fired from WABC radio and WNEW-TV in 1959 for refusing to sign a statement that he did not accept gratuities for the playing of records, Freed worked for KDAY radio in Los Angeles. All went well at first. Ratings were good but he left when the station would not allow him to promote live rock shows.
He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 6381 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on December 10, 1991.
Upon his untimely death, he was cremated. His ashes are interred at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
During the summer of 1957, he hosted "The Big Beat", Saturday nights on ABC. The show featured live (as opposed to lip sync) performances of many of the top Pop and Rock recording artists of the day, including Frankie Lyman and Sal Mineo, who had a hit with "Start Movin (In My Direction)". The format was similar to Freeds R n R theatrical revues. As of 2012, there appears to be no film (kinescope) available of these landmark broadcasts. Videotape was not introduced until 1958.
[on rock and roll] This music comes from the levees and the plantations.
Because if they have the interest, they can find themselves in it. And,as they grow up, they broaden out and come to enjoy all kinds of music. .
