Alan Freed was an American disc-jockey who is credited with coining the term "rock and roll" to describe African-American Rhythm and Blues music in the early 50s .
Career
In 1951, Freed hosted Moondog's Rock 'n' Roll Party radio show in Cleveland, Ohio. After the success of his Cleveland show, Freed moved to New York City in 1956 to work at WINS. Around the same time he began broadcasting a weekly segment on Radio Luxembourg.
Freed also appeared as himself in several pioneering Rock n' Roll movies including Rock Around the Clock in 1956 and Don't Knock the Rock in 1957.
In 1962, his career was destroyed by an infamous payola scandal. Freed was found guilty of accepting bribes from promoters who were trying to get records played on-air. Freed was fired from his position at WNBC, fined and had his license suspended. His career never recovered.
Similar Artists
Last.fm: Similar to Alan Freed
- This page was created by Armarcus, a Part Time Guide in the Mahalo Greenhouse (see the original), and quality controlled by Jeff.
If you'd like to help us create the best spam free search results on the Internet, apply to be a Part Time Guide!</em>
References
Fast Facts
-
Birth name
Albert James Freed
-
Born
-
Birthplace
Windber, Pennsylvania
-
Fact:
Called himself the "father of rock and roll"
-
Fact:
Freed was an outspoken supporter of racial equality
-
1965
-
1986
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
-
1988
Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame
