How The Origins Of Flowers In The Dustbin: How Rock And Roll Changed Youth Culture

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In these chapters of Flowers in the Dustbin, James Miller emphasizes the origins of multiple styles of rock and roll, and highlights musicians that aided in bringing about this earth shattering new sound. Artists other than Elvis Presley, like Little Richard, ‘Fats’ Domino, Pat Boone, and a disc jockey by the name of Alan Freed all contributed to what we know and love as rock and roll. Rock and roll broke racial barriers, bringing a predominantly black style of music to the white youth culture of the time. Black artist Little Richard spoke to a younger audience through his music, because he himself was one of the youngest emerging rock and roll artists of the time. During the 1950s, the origins of rock and roll are rooted in black music of the time, it broke social and racial …show more content…

Early rock and roll artists like ‘Fats’ Domino, Little Richard, and Pat Boone began their musical careers as largely rhythm and blues artists, who soon developed their styles into a new sound much more appealing to the drastically changed youth culture of the 1950s. Alan Freed, a disc jockey, and the one who coined the term rock and roll, began playing their songs on his new radio show which he called Rock and Roll Party. The technology of radio is a huge reason why so many teenagers were exposed to this new sound, and contributed immensely to the growing popularity of rock and roll. At the time most people were skeptical, and criticized this idea and Freed’s radio show. However, Freed responded with, “I don’t give a shit” “That’s what I’m going to