Having already seen the success affiliated with Buddy Knox & the Rhythm Orchids, Jim Bowen and Roy Orbison after their recording sessions at the Petty Studio, Norman was ready for his next big soundtrack. Likewise, Buddy Holly and his recently dubbed band, The Crickets, were ripe for a new beginning. Just a few short years earlier in the 1950’s, a popular Cleveland disc jockey at WJW known primarily for spinning jazz and pop hits of the day, Alan Freed, had publicly coined the term rock ‘n’ roll to describe the spiritual up-tempo music primarily targeted to black audiences of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.
Little did many know at the time, but racial barriers were about to be crossed as white artists would adopt the style and sound of their black counterparts. Freed would later be quoted in the 1956 film Rock, Rock, Rock saying, “rock and roll is a river of music that has absorbed many streams: rhythm and blues, jazz, rag time, cowboy songs, country songs, folk songs. All have contributed to the beat.” This new
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With many families having adequate income and opportunities for teens of the day to work, slick fresh automobiles gave a new sense of freedom for American adolescents. The days of the massive home radio were gone and music could now be heard from more portable-style radios, jukeboxes and more importantly, a car radio. Ice-cream shops, soda shops, sock hops and drive-in restaurants became hot spots for gathering teens to meet with friends and listen to their favorite music. This innovative pump of rock ‘n’ roll was considered dangerous by many, but would soon win the hearts of teenagers as well as their adult counterparts throughout