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Ohio inventions and firsts · First · 1951-1952

Popularizing the term 'rock and roll'

Alan Freed began 'The Moondog House' on Cleveland's WJW on July 11, 1951, popularizing the phrase 'rock and roll', and organized the Moondog Coronation Ball on March 21, 1952, considered the first major rock and roll concert.

At a glance

Year
1951-1952
By
Alan Freed
Company
WJW Radio
Place
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44114 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County

The story

Before 1951, rhythm and blues was played mostly on stations aimed at Black listeners, and young white fans often did not hear it. In Cleveland, a disc jockey named Alan Freed saw an audience that wanted this music.

On July 11, 1951, Freed began playing rhythm and blues records on WJW radio in Cleveland. He called the show The Moondog House, taking the name from an instrumental piece, and his energetic style contrasted with the quiet announcers of pop music. He promoted the music under the label rock and roll.

He did not make up the phrase. It was already in use in the early 1940s but remained obscure, and Freed helped it into the mainstream. On March 21, 1952 he organized the Moondog Coronation Ball at the Cleveland Arena, called the first major rock and roll concert. Crowds were so big that it was shut down early because of overcrowding and near riots.

In July 1954 Freed moved to WINS in New York. His career fell apart in the payola scandal: he refused to sign an FCC statement denying he took bribes, was fired from WABC in November 1959, and was later convicted of commercial bribery. He died at 43 in Palm Springs on January 20, 1965. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Timeline

  • 1951-07-11: Freed begins playing rhythm and blues on WJW in Cleveland as The Moondog House. (Cleveland, OH) source
  • 1952-03-21: The Moondog Coronation Ball at the Cleveland Arena is shut down early because of the crowd. (Cleveland, OH) source
  • 1954-07: Freed moves to WINS in New York. (New York) source
  • 1959-11: Freed is fired from WABC after refusing to sign a statement denying payola. (New York) source
  • 1965-01-20: Freed dies in Palm Springs at age 43. (Palm Springs, CA) source
  • 1986: Freed is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Cleveland, OH) source

What it changed

  • The Moondog Coronation Ball is called the first major rock and roll concert.
  • Freed helped make 'rock and roll' a household phrase.

Why it matters

Named a genre.

Who gets the credit is disputed

The Ohio claim. Alan Freed's Cleveland radio show and the 1952 Moondog Coronation Ball helped popularize the phrase rock and roll, and the ball is considered the first major rock concert.

The other claims. Freed did not invent the term. His payola scandal and disputes over songwriting credits are also documented.

Places in Ohio to see

Further reading

Sources

Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.