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| Landmark #46-18 | Cuyahoga County | Visited: August 31, 2019 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! |
| What makes it historical? | THE SIGN SAYS: When radio station WJW disc jockey Alan Freed (1921-1965) used the term “rock and roll” to describe the uptempo black rhythm and blues records he played beginning in 1951, he named a new genre of popular music that appealed to audiences on both sides of 1950s American racial boundaries–and dominated American culture for the rest of the 20th century. The popularity of Freed’s nightly “Moon Dog House Rock and Roll Party” radio show encouraged him to organize the Moondog Coronation Ball—the first rock concert. Held at the Cleveland Arena on March 21, 1952, the oversold show was beset by a riot during the first set. Freed, a charter inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, moved to WINS in New York City in 1954 and continued to promote rock music through radio, television, movies, and live performances.
OTHER TIDBITS: Rock and roll was a great unifying force in the US during turbulent times! The genre itself was a blend of African-American rhythm and blues with swing styles and was popular with audiences of many different races, especially as cities started to become more diverse in the 1940s. Today, most folks associate rock and roll with guitars, but in its early days, the lead instrument was usually a piano or saxophone! It was the percussion, usually a snare drum, that stayed with the genre through the years! Rock and roll arose around the same time as the microphone, electric guitar, and the 45 rpm record! As a style, it branched out into subgenres like Rockabilly, Doo Wop, and evolved into styles like funk, disco, house, techno, and hip hop, creating a whole new type of teen culture with the dance parties that have become a mainstay of growing up in America! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| How do I find it? | Listed Directions: 1 Key Plaza Cleveland, OH Annotations: From Cincinnati: ~252mi (406km) — 4.2hrs |
| When should I go? | The museum is open daily from 10:00 AM until 5:30 PM, but on Wednesdays it’s open until 9:00 PM, closed only on Thanksgiving and Christmas! |
