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The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.
Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.
But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed.
lesson:
Chuck Berry
Why is Chuck Berry often considered the most important of the early Rock and Rollers?
lesson:
The Rise of the Electric Guitar
What factors led to the rise of the electric guitar as the dominant symbol of Rock and Roll?
lesson:
Bo Diddley: The Grandfather of Hip Hop?
How were Bo Diddley’s recordings an anomaly in relation to 1950s Pop music, and how is his rhythm-driven sound and self-presentation a precursor to Hip Hop style?
lesson:
Distortion: The Sound of Rock and Roll’s Menacing Spirit
What is distortion, and how did it become a desired guitar effect in Rock and Roll?
Video
video:
Talks About Little Richard
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
video:
Tutti Frutti
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
video:
Lonesome Train
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
video:
Whole Lotta Shakin’
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
video:
Great Balls of Fire
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
video:
Influences
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
video:
Real Rock and Roll
<p>The lessons in this chapter focus on four artists commonly associated with the Birth of Rock and Roll: Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. The absence from the History of Rock and Roll of any one of these musicians would change the character of that history. Of course, the same could be said of a handful of others, including Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers, Carl Perkins, and a few others. The aim here, however, is not to suggest that one artist is more important than another so much as it is to look into the lives and music of some key figures in order to better understand common features. In so doing, students can get a better sense for where Rock and Roll, as an impulse and a movement, came from.</p> <p>Early Rock and Roll and the men who made it have roots in the music of the American South. Each one of this chapter's central characters has a connection that points in that direction. Most, including Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, were raised in the church. Most had direct and meaningful contact with Country music. All had direct and meaningful contact with black music. But what binds the four as musicians, as performers? Certainly it's the energy of their presentation on stage. In some cases it's a vocal style that pushes the limits of the voice. But, overall, it's the stripped back, post-R&B feel of what they're doing on their recordings. Horn sections are somewhat rare. Each one of these performers came on the scene with relatively small ensembles. And these smaller combos resulted in what many have called a more "raw" sound.</p> <p>But if the lessons that are coming here focus on the music's defining features and the background of its makers, they also look at the backdrop to it all: America at mid-century. The meaning of Rock and Roll had much to do with what it was up against: a racially divided country just out of a war and engaged in another, the Cold War, that played on the fears of the population. Rock and Roll's power came in part through the need of its audience for release. If the performers came on with an abandon, the audience was there to match it. They fed one another. And, along the way, the nation itself was changed. </p>
Print Journalism
article:
Buddy Holly: The Rocker Next Door with the Mail-Order Axe
IN A frame of reference where you might think of Elvis Presley as an idol and Little Richard as a hero. Buddy Holly has to be considered as an influence. Buddy Holly, the first rocker to actually go on stage wearing hornrimmed spectacles, who died in an air crash on February 3rd, 1959, and who thereby created rock's very first tragic legend, was much more than simply another fifties rock 'n' roll front man who got thrown into unnatural notoriety by his premature death. In any final analysis of the contribution of the stars of the fifties to the general steam...
article:
Fats Domino: The Man Who Sang Rock Before Haley
HIS first million-seller was named after himself. Until last year he had more million-sellers than Elvis, who finally caught up with him after a hard struggle. He had more Gold discs before his biggest hit – in 1956 – than after. That hit was 'Blueberry Hill', the first disc was 'The Fat Man' and the man himself is Antoine "Fats" Domino. When Fats first came on the scene back in 1948 the big trend in pop music was jazz, and watery pops. There was no "vital" music for the kids except some obscure Blues that wasn't commercial enough anyway. Fats made 'The...
article:
Chuck Berry: Rock Lives!
...especially it seems, at the Saville. Chuck Berry talks to RM's Norman Jopling for this in-depth interview CHUCK BERRY has become a musical institution in the eleven years that he has been making hit records. Since his first American hit single 'Maybellene' in 1955 (before Elvis Presley scored HIS first American hit), Chuck has endeared himself to the hearts of all types of pop music admirers – from never-say-die side-burned drape-jacketed rockers, to trendy mini-skirted young ladies. Just how much has Chuck himself changed in that considerable amount of time, musically? (to go back to Presley, think how much HE has changed!) "Then...