“Rock music”. “Bluegrass music”. “Country music”.
When you think of these music genres, of whom do you picture?
White singer/songwriter/ musicians?
Or, Black singer/songwriter/musicians?
If you are like most people, you would think of Whites before you think of Blacks as far as rock and roll music, bluegrass music and country music is concerned. But, rock and roll, country and western, and bluegrass, both have a very profound Black American influence, merging with varied other music types through the centuries and decades.
ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC
When I think of rock music, I think of Black Americans major contribution to rock and roll:
-The Mills Brothers
-Little Richard
-Ike Turner
-Etta James
-Chuck Berry
-Bo Diddley
Chuck is may favorourite, because I consider him to be the “King of Rock and Roll”: http://www.chuckberry.com/
CHARLES EDWARD ANDERSON “CHUCK” BERRY PERFORMING IN DEAUVILLE, FRANCE, 1987.
I do not consider rock music the sole domain and creation of White people. Rock music has its roots in blues, rhythm and blues, and even gospel. Whites who came along and “took” it over—-Elvis Presley (NOT the King of Rock and Roll; Pat Boone), and either watered it down of changed it altogether, are not the sole creators of rock music. Though some White musicians did add a different style to the original rhythm and blues aspect, (”rockabilly”, country and western), the basic foundation of rock music rests on Black input, creativity and style. Black music is strongly interwoven into American history, and our positive inlfuence on this country should never be disparaged, forgotten—or erased.
Only when Alan Freed started playing Black people’s rock music as a Cleveland DJ in 1951, DID rock music (Black American rock music) cross over into the world of Whites; back then, it was called race music when used to categorize Black people’s music (thus Freed’s playing rhythm and blues and country music for a multi-racial audience back then, introduced Black American music to a wider audience: Whites, Latinos, Native Americans—-the world.) In fact, the phrase “rocking and rolling”, was secular black slang for dancing or sex, and the phrase first appeared on a record for the first time in 1922 on Trixie Smith’s “My Man Rocks Me With One Steady Roll”.
“Rockin’” was also a term used by Black churches/gospel singers in the American South to mean something akin to spiritual ecstasy—”getting happy”, “shouting”.
There are many who consider the “first” rock-n-roll song to have been performed by Ike Turner and his band the Kings of Rhythm: “Rocket 88″, first performed in 1951.
Other forms of rock and roll that came along decades later, were progressive rock, alternative rock, acid rock, punk rock, and heavy metal, to name just a few.
Before rock and roll, before rhythm and blues, before blues, before ragtime, there were “Negro” sprituals. Black music IS America’s gift to the world. I know many people will say that White musicians have contributed to rock music, and they have. But, I do not want for people to continue to regard rock and roll as a sole creation of White people when its true origins began with Black people.
COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC
The same can also be said of country and western music, which has stong Black American roots, in the American South.
The interactions among musicians from different ethnic groups produced music unique to this region of North America. Appalachian string bands of the early twentieth century primarliy consisted of the fiddle, guitar, and Black Americans contributed with their musical style and the African instrument, the banjo. Many people think of Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, some may think of Charlie Pride, but, how many know of Rissi Palmer?
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Website: http://www.rissipalmer.com/splash/noair.php
Country music has a strong influence of the contributions of Black Americans.
The same goes for Bluegrass music.
BLUEGRASS MUSIC
When I think of Bluegrass music, I do not think of White people. I think of Black people:
-The Carolina Chocolate Drops
Drops Flemons and Giddens string along.
The Drops’ Robinson put his jug into it.
Website: http://www.carolinachocolatedrops.com/
Not Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.
He and his group became famous for bluegrass music, but, forgotten and disregarded are the many Black creators of original, authentic, bluegrass music. The various types of music combined with the people who began migrating to America in the early 1600s are considered to be the roots of bluegrass music—including dance music and ballads from Ireland, Scotland and England, as well as Black American gospel music and blues. (In fact, slaves from Africa brought the design idea for the banjo–an instrument now integral to the bluegrass sound.)
Yes, Bluegrass is music that is lively and fast.
It is “musician’s music”.
It is music from the heart and soul.
Bluegrass like jazz, gospel, blues—is truly an American music. Bluegrass is an amlgamation of country music (which also has Black American roots), Anglo-Celtic music, Appalachian folk music, and most of all, Black American Jazz and Blues, and Ragtime music.
If not for the enormous contributions of Black Americans:
-Civil Rights Movement (Diane Nash, “Mama” Dolly Raines, Mrs. Silas McGhee, Unita Blackwell, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker)
-Labor Movement (Mamma Harris, Lucy Parsons, Black Washerwomen Movement of 1866)
-Black feminists (Fannie Barrier Williams, Sojourner Truth)
-The fight against sexism (Kathleen Cleaver, Elaine Brown)
-Law (Florence Kennedy); (Margaret Miller, Paulette Barnes, Diane Williams and Maxine Munford [were among the earliest women to litigate sexual harassment as prohibited sex discrimination ]; Sandra Bundy, [ brought forth an important hostile environment claim in 1981, ]; Mechelle Vinson [ was the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court case affirming sexual harassment as a viable cause of action under Title VII in 1986]; Anita Hill [in front of a Senate panel, named sexual harassment publicly]; Pamela Price [ joined her Yale classmates in arguing that the school's failure to combat sexual harassment denied their right to equal educational opportunity]; Aurelia and LaShonda Davis [ it took twenty years, but, a black mother and daughter team, convinced the Supreme Court that Title IX does provide a remedy against schools for failing to curtail student-on-student sexual harassment. LaShonda Davis was in the fifth grade. ]
to name just a few. . . .
. . . .America would be a poorer place indeed.
Rock music evolved form Black R&B. If not for Black Americans there would be no Rock ‘n’ Roll.
There would be no Rolling Stones, Herman’s Hermits, Allman Brothers band—-nor Linkin Park, Metallica, korn, Living Colour, King’s X.
The foundation, the bones, the sinews—-the blood of rock ‘n’ Roll IS Black.
Sheesh.
Yes, I am a Black American woman who loves her R&B, Blues, Bluegrass, Country & Western—-and Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Ever wonder why you like some types of music, whether it be rock, country, bluegrass, etc? Why you can connect to various singer’s songs: Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne, Carol King, even the Beatles?
It is because of the Black influence that has been copied for decades and decades and decades by Whites singers that you are relating to.
Afterall, if it was not for Chuck Berry, Ike Turner, Muddy Waters, Little Eva, Bo Diddley……………..
………….there would be no Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Just so, is the enduring effect of Black influence in the world of music. I feel that there is much of Black American’s contributions to music that we get slighted and disregarded on, as well as forgotten under the debris of lack of knowledge of Black’s musical contributions, so, starting today, I will post on a daily basis, historic firsts in the world of Black American music. The posts will include a musical milestone on that day, as well as a mini-history lesson. These posts will not be in-depth essays, just kernels of knowledge to help everyone realize the magnificent contributions that Black Americans have given to America—-and the world, in their music.
REFERENCES:
(3)journalist Greg Tate and producer Konda Mason in reaction to the
constrictions that the commercial music industry places on Black artists.
music fans assembled to maximize exposure and provide resources
for Black artists who defy convention. To date, the BRC is the only
national nonprofit organization dedicated to the complete creative freedom
of Black artists.
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#1 R&B Song 1951: “Fool, Fool, Fool,” the Clovers
BORN: Katie Crippen, 1895; Ronnie Devoe (New Edition), 1967
1956 The Heartbeats’ “A Thousand Miles Away” charted (#53 pop, #5 R&B), and the Continental’s inspiring “Dear Lord” ($200) was released.
1958 Jackie Wilson’s supreme classic, “Lonely Teardrops,” charted R&B reaching #1 for seven weeks and #7 pop.
1958 The Chanters’ “Over the Rainbow” was issued.
1964 Marvin Gaye, who was in England for TV performances, left to visit Dionne Warwick after hearing she had had a car accident.
1996 Patti LaBelle, Stevie Wonder, and Luther Vandross performed at Celebrate the Dream: 50 Years of Ebony Magazine at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium
1998 Janet Jackson, while on a South African tour, met President Nelson Mandela, and all twenty-nine of his grandchildren, at his home.
SOURCE: “On This Day In Black Music History”, by Jay Warner, Hal-Leonard Corporation, 2006, pg. 323.
2 Comments
November 17, 2008 at 10:00+00:00Nov
You mention Alan Freed as the first DJ to play black music for a white audience in 1951, but 3-4 years earlier, a DJ in Pittsburgh, Pa., named Porky Chedwick was doing the same thing — introducing blues, R&B, doo-wop and other black music to white teens in the area. I know. I was one of them.
You can find a little about him here – http://porkychedwick.com/files/bio.html, and at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website.
November 18, 2008 at 10:00+00:00Nov
“Craig “Porky” Chedwick, from Homestead, Pennsylvania, blazed a dual trail on the east coast, by establishing a foundation for what another Caucasian and fellow Pennsylvanian, Alan Freed, called “rock and roll” some four years later. Simultaneously, by airing all “dusty discs,” Porky also pioneered oldies radio and the associated billion-dollar industry, which keeps record labels like Rhino (headed by Pittsburgher Richard Foos) thriving today. Porky’s extreme importance to the history of radio– and to music as we know it– is undeniable, given the voluminous documentation that exists and countless fans who witnessed his milestones personally. Still, for reasons unknown, the history books have completely overlooked him. Even the fact that Porky was recognized for his accomplishments by Congressman Ron Klink on the floor of the US Congress on October 5, 1998 hasn’t enticed scholars to look more closely at this man we call “The Founder and Creator of the Oldies.” Our friend, the late composer and Skyliners vocal group founder/manager, Joe Rock, observed to me once, “Alexander Graham Bell did invent the telephone, but he never owned a piece of AT&T. It’s the same with Porky and oldies.”
“Unfortunately, the biography in the exhibit fails to tell how, days after his radio debut on August 1, 1948, Porky pioneered the oldies radio format and became the first white disc jockey on the east coast to present a program of exclusively black R&B, gospel and jazz. Unlike most white R&B disc jockeys who followed his lead in the overnights, Porky’s broadcasts were in broad daylight (For the record, Los Angeles DJ, Hunter Hancock, now in his late 80s, preceded Porky by less than a year as the first white disc jockey to play all contemporary R&B. Porky and Hunter are both the first and the last surviving DJ pioneers of their respective coasts).”
“Often, Porky would astound visiting record label reps by taking a 45 out of their hand and “banging” the B-side, instead of the “plug” side. Porky knew what his dedicated legions wanted and was responsible for putting Pittsburgh on the cutting edge of music in the 1960s, making it a major testing ground for R&B through the ’70s. He revealed his reason for the music’s popularity to Billboard Magazine in 1966: “It’s a good interpretation of basic emotions. I’ve got kids brainwashed. They like the groove stuff.”
“Basic emotions”.
Yes. An aspect that ALL people can recognize and understand.
“In Porky’s own impoverished steel-working neighborhood– described by him as being like a “secluded island” of about 60 homes “with yards infested with children in torn clothes”– a white man playing Negro music was nothing extraordinary. Poverty, he told me, had a way of uniting his entire community into one extended family, where skin color was inconsequential.”
“Still, the millions of people—like you, perhaps– who may have never met him or heard his name, are the true beneficiaries of his unique legacy.”
George Jacob (Craig) “Porky” Chedwick, “The Bossman”, indeed.
What a great man, and so unknown and unsung to millions of people. And what true beneficiaries we all are thanks to “Porky”s love of all music, and love of all people. What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful man.
“I know. I was one of them.”
And how blessed you are to have been of the many who were graced by “Porky”s love of all music and the uniting it does in creating a common bond between diverse groups of people.
Thanks for your comments, and thanks for stopping by.